Sialic acids in human lymphocytes. Qualitative and quantitative alterations in cancer cases.

Sialic acids, hydrolyzed from human lymphocytes, were determined, in the nanomole range, with a modified form of the periodic acid-thiobarbituric acid assay and liquid chromatography. The l.c. separations were carried out with two different systems, firstly an Aminex HPX-72 S anion-exchange resin and a 0.15M ammonium sulfate mobile phase, and secondly an amine phase (5 microns) and an acetonitrile-phosphate buffer as mobile phase. The lymphocytes of cancer-stricken persons showed an evident rise of the sialic acid content, combined with a shift of the sialic acid distribution to higher O-acetylated derivatives, as compared to the controls.