title: Absence of a stratum corneum antigen in disorders of epidermal cell proliferation: detection with an anti-ganglioside GM3 antibody.
abstract: We have investigated the distribution of ganglioside GM3 in normal skin with 8G9D8, a monoclonal antibody against GM3, and found binding to the stratum corneum. By electron microscopy, strong deposition of antibody was seen at the corneocyte envelope/"plasma membrane" region. Significantly decreased to absent binding to the stratum corneum was shown in a variety of disorders of excessive keratinocyte proliferation, including squamous cell carcinomas, psoriasis, and bullous and non-bullous forms of congenital ichthyosiform erythrodermas, as well as in the hyperplastic cornoid lamellae of porokeratosis. The 8G9D8 antibody recognizes the carbohydrate sequence N-acetylneuraminic acid alpha 2----3 galactose beta 1----4 glucose (or N-acetylglucosamine). Thus, in addition to ganglioside GM3, 8G9D8 may bind to glycoproteins or another glycolipid of the stratum corneum with a shared carbohydrate sequence. The carbohydrate sequence recognized by 8G9D8, whether attached to an epidermal glycoprotein or glycolipid, may prove to be important in keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Rush University, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Paller
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Spalding
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Bremer
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002455:Cell Division; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005679:G(M3) Ganglioside / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012016:Reference Values; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005679:G(M3) Ganglioside; D005732:Gangliosides