Characterization of glycosphingolipids from cells of various types of human leukemia: occurrence of two glycosphingolipids, one reacting with anti-asialo GM1 antibody and one with anti-Forssman antibody.

Glycosphingolipids of neutrophils, lymphocytes and leukocytes from patients with various types of human leukemia [acute lymphoblastic (ALL), acute unclassified type (AUL), acute myeloblastic (AML), acute monocytic (AMoL), chronic myeloblastic (CML)] and the hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) were analyzed chemically and immunochemically. No distinct difference was found in the molar ratio of lipid-bound sialic acid to lipid-bound phosphorus in these cells, but a low ratio of cholesterol to lipid-bound phosphorus was found in ALL (3 of 4 cases), AML, CML and AMoL (one of 2 cases). The predominant glycosphingolipid was ceramide dihexoside (CDH) in all cells analyzed, but the amount and the molar ratio of lipid-bound phosphorus to CDH were clearly different in different cell types, indicating that the molar ratio is a useful criterion in the classification of types of leukemia. In addition, molecular diversity of minor glycosphingolipid components was observed in various leukemic cells. Two of the neutral glycosphingolipids in AMoL were tentatively identified as asialo GM1 and Forssman glycolipids by comparing their mobilities on thin-layer chromatography with those of standard glycolipids and by observing the formation of precipitin lines on a double diffusion agar plate with anti-asialo GM1 and anti-Forssman antibodies.