title: Expression of GD2 ganglioside by untreated primary human neuroblastomas.
abstract: Primary neuroblastomas obtained before therapy from 36 patients were studied to determine the frequency of tumors expressing a specific glycosphingolipid, GD2 ganglioside. Total tissue gangliosides were purified by a new partition method, quantitated, and analyzed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography. All 36 neuroblastoma tumors, representing all clinical stages, contained GD2 ganglioside. The mean relative and absolute concentrations of GD2 were substantial (12% of the total tissue gangliosides and 50 nmol/g of tissue) and were independent of the clinical stage of the tumor. In contrast, 6 samples of related but more differentiated tumors (ganglioneuroblastoma and ganglioneuroma) had little or no detectable GD2 (less than or equal to 1.5% of total gangliosides and less than or equal to 4 nmol/g of tissue). These results suggest that GD2 is a sensitive marker for neuroblastoma tissue and may be an excellent target antigen for immunotherapy of this tumor.
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009463:Neuroma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides; C019403:ganglioside, GD2