How sensitive may cytochemical methods detect alterations of the glycocalyx?

This review reports on the relationship of light and electron microscopic cytochemical staining and chemo-affinity labelling to the conformational state of the human erythrocyte glycocalyx glycophorin. According to a recent suggestion, primary glycophorin conformation is associated with binding to the lipid bilayer of this glycoprotein's N-terminal segment. Pretreatment of cells prior to fixation may cause this segment of detach from the lipid lamella and to acquire a less orientation. Alterations of the glycocalyx were sensitively demonstrated by topo-optical staining and by the labelling of unmasked binding sites.