Isolation of glycosaminoglycans from lymphocytes in chronic lymphoic leukemia.

Glycosaminoglycans were isolated from type B chronic lymphoid leukemia lymphocytes. Their studies showed chondroitin sulfate A (C) and under-sulfated chondroitin sulfate, no heparan sulfate was found. These results were confirmed with 12 other chronic lymphoid leukemia patients. By the same method polyanionic glycopeptides distinct from glycosaminoglycans were obtained from lymphocyte glycoproteins. They showed similarities in composition with known cell receptors. The largest part of chondroitin sulfate was liberated from cells by mild hydrolysis with trypsin and thus appeared to be a cell-surface component.