title: Expression of gangliosides GD3 and 3'-isoLM1 in autopsy brains from patients with malignant tumors.
abstract: Three autopsy brains from patients who succumbed to malignant gliomas have been analyzed in various regions with regard to their ganglioside content. The study focused on the gangliosides GD3 and 3'-isoLM1, which in a previous study of biopsies were found to be associated with these tumors. In particular, 3'-isoLM1, was suggested to be a marker for malignant gliomas. The highest concentrations (200-1,000 nmol of sialic acid/g wet weight) of GD3 was found in specimens of macroscopically pure tumor, where the proportion of GD3 was, at the most, 78% (range, 11-78%) of the total ganglioside sialic acid compared with < 10% in normal brain tissue. The proportion of the total ganglioside sialic acid made up by GD3 was also elevated in the periphery of the tumor and in the same region in the opposite hemisphere, where no tumor cells were detected. In four of eight brain metastases of various carcinomas, GD3 was > 10% of the total ganglioside sialic acid (range, 3-37%). The ganglioside 3'-isoLM1, as determined by TLC-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a specific monoclonal antibody (SL-50), was not present at detectable levels in any of the macroscopically homogenous tumor areas. It was, however, found in the periphery of the tumor, in the corpus callosum, and at highest concentrations in the region of the opposite hemisphere corresponding to the tumor. The concentration varied between 0.1 and 6.0 nmol/g wet weight of tissue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Göteborg, Mölndal Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fredman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: von Holst
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dellheden
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Svennerholm
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D002102:Cadaver; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000378:metabolism*; D005910:Glioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D012016:Reference Values; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides; C036208:LM1 ganglioside; D012794:Sialic Acids; C026226:ganglioside, GD3; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid