title: Polysialogangliosides expressed by amelanotic melanoma: a possible explanation for the poor response to anti-monosialoganglioside antibody 202 in a patient with melanoma.
abstract: A 52-year-old Japanese woman developed numerous amelanotic metastatic melanomas on the skin and in various organs three years after a surgical operation for primary melanoma on the right axilla. The patient was treated with monosialoganglioside specific monoclonal antibody 202; however, no apparent clinical effects were observed. Ganglioside analysis of a metastatic tumor demonstrated that it expressed GM3, GM2, GD3, GD2, and polysialogangliosides. Since polysialogangliosides rarely appear in melanomas, their expression may explain the patient's poor response to MAb 202. The relationship between ganglioside composition and the effect of anti-ganglioside monoclonal antibody is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Yamaguchi Rosai Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamanaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Asagami
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gondo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Irie
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Otsuka
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018328:Melanoma, Amelanotic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005732:Gangliosides; C025447:sialogangliosides; C016481:trisialoganglioside GT1