Neutral glycosphingolipids in hairy cell leukemia.

The neutral glycosphingolipids of hairy cells from a patient with hairy cell leukemia were chemically analyzed by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and glycosidase treatment. These cells were found to have compounds containing one to four sugars with the following structures: Glc1 leads to 1Cer Gal beta 1 leads to 4Glc1 leads to 1Cer Gal alpha 1 leads to 4 Gal beta 1 leads to 4Glc1 leads to 1Cer GalNAc beta 1 leads to 3Gal alpha 1 leads to 4Gal beta 1 leads to 4Glc1 leads to 1Cer These compounds belong to the globo series of neutral glycosphingolipids and are similar to those found in human lymphocytes and chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. They differ from the neutral glycosphingolipids found in human neutrophils and chronic myelogenous leukemia cells which are of the lactoneo and gala type. Neutral glycosphingolipids may be useful in classifying leukemias of uncertain origin.