Origin, morphology, histochemistry and function of the mucosal mast cell and the globule leukocyte. A review

Abstract

Parasites invading mucous membranes elicit an inflammatory response from the host. With appropriate fixation and staining methods, cells with intracytoplasmic granules may be observed. Closer examination may reveal several types of granular cells, the eosinophilic granulocytes being the most commonly identified in parasitic infections, but also observable are peculiar mast cells and globule leukocytes whose functions are not yet understood. This review describes the most important facts about the mucosal mast cell and the globule leukocyte relevant to their significance in parasitic infections.