Traditional staining methods, plus indirect immunoperoxidase techniques for IgE and mast
cell tryptase (MC Tr) were used to study the mast cells (MCs) of multiple sclerosis (MS) and
normal brains. The MCs varied in number in MS amongst perivascular inflammatory cells as
well as free in the parenchyma, especially inside and around 'chronic active'plaques. Since
MCs do not migrate, and rarely divide in maturity, they must have developed locally. Staining
for IgE was moderately strong on and within MCs, and weak within some plasma cells. MC …