Analysis of the expression of Hanganutziu-Deicher (HD) antigen in human malignant melanoma

Hanganutziu-Deicher (HD) antigen is classified as a heterophile antigen and chemically defined as a ganglioside and/or glycoprotein containing N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc). HD antigen is absent from normal tissues in humans and chickens but can be expressed in human malignant neoplasms including melanoma. We analysed HD antigen expression in ganglioside and glycoprotein fractions of human melanoma tissues by means of TLC enzyme-immunostaining and Western blotting with biotinylated affinity-purified chicken anti-NeuGc-lactosylceramide (anti-HD3) antibody. No HD-antigenic gangliosides were detected in 11 specimens of human melanoma. In the glycoprotein fractions, however, a strong HD-positive band of 58 kD was detected in 3 of 10 specimens and several minor bands (37 kD, 13.5 kD, etc.) were also found in 5 specimens. The positive bands completely disappeared after treatment with neuraminidase. These results suggest that HD antigen is expressed on the carbohydrate chains of glycoproteins but not on those of gangliosides in human melanoma.