Scanning electron microscopy of human leukocytes.

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Hematology
• Microscopy

Background:

• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been extensively applied to human leukocyte studies over the past decade.
• Early attempts to differentiate lymphocyte subpopulations using SEM yielded limited success.
• Challenges in cell preparation methods have been addressed through critical evaluation and refinement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a critical evaluation of cell preparation methods for SEM imaging of leukocytes.
• To demonstrate the correlation of SEM images with immunological and cytochemical parameters.
• To facilitate future applications of SEM in diagnostic clinical hematology.

Main Methods:

• Development of highly specific techniques for immuno-labeling of cell surfaces.
• Implementation of SEM cytochemistry in the backscattered electron imaging (BEI) mode.
• Establishment of a basic procedure for secondary electron imaging (SEI) of separated peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs).

Main Results:

• Highly reproducible SEM images of leukocytes are now achievable.
• SEM image significance can be correlated with immunological and/or cytochemical parameters.
• Refined cell preparatory methods have overcome initial difficulties in SEM analysis.

Conclusions:

• SEM, with improved techniques, offers a valuable tool for analyzing leukocyte morphology.
• The presented methods enable correlation of SEM findings with functional cell characteristics.
• This work paves the way for enhanced diagnostic applications of SEM in clinical hematology.