Peroxidase (HRP) conjugates of Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), Arachis hypogaea agglutinin (PNA) and Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA I) are used as specific molecular probes in order to describe histological patterns of carbohydrate moieties in glycoconjugates of gastric mucosa. Specimens of normal mucosa, metaplasias and carcinomas are fixed, embedded in paraffin and stained with lectins by a postembedding technique.