Gangliosides in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and non-hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)

Gangliosides of human acute myelomonocytic leukaemia (AMMoL), acute monocytic leukaemia (AMoL) and lymphoblastoid (pre-B) lymphoma cells were analysed by overpressured thin-layer chromatography (OPTLC) followed by scanning densitometry. AMMoL cells were found to contain four gangliosides, viz. GM 3 (47.2%), GM 1 (31.8%), GD 1a (7.5%) and an unidentified compound migrating between GM 1 and GD 1a (13.5%). In AMoL cells, six components were identified ( GM 3 :51.3%, GM 1 :13.4%, GD 3 : 7.8%, GD 1a : 4.7%, GD 1b : 6%, and an unidentified compound migrating between GM 2 and GM 1 ). The total gangliosides extracted from pre-B lymphoma cells of the hand-mirror variant were composed of 10 species ( GM 3 : 50.8%, GM 2 : 11.2%, GM 1 : 7.8%, GD 3 : 2.3%, GD 1a : 1.1%, GD 1b : 2.2%, GT 1 : 1.6%, and three unidentified components with chromatographic mobilities between GM 2 and GD 1a ). Additional studies must still be performed to clarify the question as to whether ganglioside GD 3 represent a qualitative glycolipid marker for AMoL and pre-B lymphoblastic lymphoma.