ADAPTATION OF MASS-SPECTROMETRY FOR THE ANALYSIS OF TUMOR-ANTIGENS AS APPLIED TO BLOOD-GROUP GLYCOLIPIDS OF A HUMAN GASTRIC-CARCINOMA

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 40  (3) , 897-908
Abstract
Total neutral (nonacidic) glycolipid fractions were isolated from a gastric adenocarcinoma and the surrounding normal gastric tissue removed at laparotomy of a blood group B human individual. Each glycolipid mixture was fractionated by silicic acid column chromatography into 10 different partly purified glycolipid fractions. These fractions were analyzed by TLC and tested for blood group A and B activity. Blood group B activity was found in several fractions from tumor and normal tissue. Two of the tumor glycolipid fractions reacted with some batches of commercial anti-A antisera, but other antisera tested did not react. No such blood group A reactivity was found in the fractions from the normal gastric tissue. The 2 blood group A-active tumor glycolipid fractions were methylated and methylated-reduced; these 2 derivatives were analyzed by mass spectrometry. These 2 fractions were mixtures of glycosphingolipids with 5-9 sugars. The dominating glycosphingolipids were blood group Leb and B-like hexaglycosylceramides, a B-similar heptaglycosylceramide with an additional fucose, an H-like heptaglycosylceramide and a Leb-like octaglycosylceramide. Evidence for small amounts of a blood group A-similar heptaglycosylceramide with an additional fucose was found. The finding of a blood group A-similar glycolipid in a fraction which reacts with some anti-A antisera is the first chemical evidence for a heterolog blood group antigen in human cancer which has previously been found by histoimmunological techniques. The clinical significance of this finding is discussed in relation to diagnostic procedures and immunotherapy.

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