A novel form of ectopic human chorionic gonadotrophin beta-subunit in the serum of a woman with epidermoid cancer.

A novel form of free human chorionic gonadotrophin beta-subunit (hCG beta) was found in serum from ElBre, a woman with epidermoid carcinoma of unknown origin. ElBre hCG beta was larger than standard (pregnancy urine) hCG beta when analysed by gel chromatography (apparent molecular weight 54 000 vs 44 000). This size difference appeared to be due to a larger carboxyterminal extension (CTE) of ElBre hCG beta since thermolysin cleavage of the CTE from standard hCG beta and Elbre hCG beta yielded core products of the same size. Oligosaccharides, O-linked to serine or threonine, were present in ElBre hCG beta, presumably on its CTE as judged by the complete binding of desialylated ElBre hCG beta to immobilized peanut agglutinin (this lectin is specific for terminal galactose linked beta 1----3 to N-acetylgalactosamine, a disaccharide exposed after desialylation of the O-linked oligosaccharides of standard hCG beta). ElBre hCG beta, however, was incompletely recognized by antisera specific for the CTE of standard hCG beta, especially the carbohydrate-sensitive antiserum R141. The O-linked oligosaccharides of standard hCG beta are heterogeneous in size; 13% are of the largest (hexasaccharide) form. In contrast, over 50% of the O-linked oligosaccharides in hCG beta from the JAr choriocarcinoma cell line are hexasaccharides. Like desialylated ElBre hCG beta, desialylated JAr hCG beta bound completely to peanut agglutinin, but was incompletely recognized by antisera to the hCG beta-CTE. Furthermore, JAr hCG beta was intermediate in size between standard hCG beta and ElBre hCG beta when analysed by gel chromatography (apparent molecular weight 49 000).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)