[Analysis of glycosphingolipids from human myeloid leukemias].

Neutral glycosphingolipids of human myeloid leukemia cells in different differentiation stages from nine patients were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. All cells contained ceramide monohexoside, lactosylceramide and neutral glycosphingolipids of the lacto-series. However, some of the leukemic cells contained neutral glycosphingolipids of the globo-series. Especially myelomonocytic cells (French-American-British or FAB classification M4) and poorly differentiated cells (FAB M0 and M1) were found to contain globo glycosphingolipids. On myeloblast cells, (FAB M2), globo glycosphingolipids were missing or present only in very low amounts. It seemed, therefore, that on myeloid leukemic cells the glycosphingolipid composition may be dependent on their differentiation stage.