Observation of dendritic cell morphology under light, phase-contrast or confocal laser scanning microscopy
The Malaysian Journal of Pathology
;
: 97-102, 2010.
Artigo
em Inglês
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-630030
ABSTRACT
Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen presenting cells of the immune system. They can be generated in vitro from peripheral blood monocytes supplemented with GM-CSF, IL-4 and TNF alpha. During induction, DCs will increase in size and acquire multiple cytoplasmic projections when compared to their precursor cells such as monocytes or haematopoietic stem cells which are usually round or spherical. Morphology of DCs can be visualized by conventional light microscopy after staining or phase-contrast inverted microscopy or confocal laser scanning microscopy. In this report, we described the morphological appearances of DCs captured using the above-mentioned techniques. We found that confocal laser scanning microscopy yielded DCs images with greater details but the operating cost for such a technique is high. On the other hand, the images obtained through light microscopy after appropriate staining or phase contrast microscopy were acceptable for identification purpose. Besides, these equipments are readily available in most laboratories and the cost of operation is affordable. Nevertheless, morphological identification is just one of the methods to characterise DCs. Other methods such as phenotypic expression markers and mixed leukocyte reactions are additional tools used in the characterisation of DCs.
Texto completo:
DisponíveL
Índice:
WPRIM (Pacífico Ocidental)
Assunto principal:
Células Dendríticas
/
Microscopia de Contraste de Fase
/
Microscopia Confocal
Idioma:
Inglês
Revista:
The Malaysian Journal of Pathology
Ano de publicação:
2010
Tipo de documento:
Artigo
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