Analysis of glycosphingolipids of human head and neck carcinomas with comparison to normal tissue.

Glycosphingolipids of head and neck carcinomas from six tumor-bearing patients were analyzed and compared to those of normal tissue from similar areas. The total glycosphingolipid content and the lipid-bound sialic acid were much higher in carcinomas than in normal tissue. Major neutral glycolipids were glucosylceramide, lactosylceramide, trihexosylceramide and paragloboside. Sulfatides were seen only in extracts from normal tissue which also showed a rather simple ganglioside pattern with #GM3 and GD3 as major species, whereas tumors showed additional species such as GM2 and GD2, along with a strong increase in LM1, GM1, GD1a and GT1b.