January - March 2012, Volume 8, Issue 1

Nicolae C, Nicolae I

Heterogeneity of Gangliosides in Melanocytic Tumors

Acta Endo (Buc) 2012, 8 (1): 17-26
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2012.17

Background. Gangliosides are Nacetyl - neuraminic - acid containing glycosphyngolipids that modulate several\r\ncellular functions.\r\nObjective. The present study confirmed the presence of cellular gangliosides in melanocytic tumors with\r\nneuroectodermal origin. These molecules showed large quantitative and structural variability in melanocytic cells.\r\nMethods. The spectrum and levels of gangliosides were performed from 1991 until 2010, in 411 specimens of melanoma, 108 cutaneous metastases of melanoma, 206\r\nnevocellular and dysplastic nevus and 130 specimens of normal skin.\r\nResults. Melanoma showed aberrant gangliosides expression. This included overexpression of normal ganglioside\r\nconstituents (GM2, GM3, GD2, GD3), which also appear in melanocytic nevus and epidermis tissues, and expression of\r\ngangliosides (O-Acetyl-Ganglioside) not found in normal adult tissue. The ganglioside composition of\r\nmelanoma is: GM1 (1,29?0,87%), GM2 (10,32?4,11%), GM3 (22,23?11,30%), GD2 (16,03?9,13%), GD3 (39,06?14,25%), GD1a\r\n(2,16?0,77%), GD1b (1,74?1,01%), GT1b (1,82?1,11 %), GQ1b (1,34?1,07%), OAcetyl-GD3 (4,01?2,81%).\r\nConclusions. The overexpression and variability of gangliosides in melanoma and the low expression of them in normal tissue was correlated with oncogenic process and\r\nmetastatic potential.

Keywords: melanocytic tumors, gangliosides, NANA(N-acetyl-neuraminicacid\r\n)

Correspondence: Corina Nicolae MD, Department of Pharmacology, UMF ?Carol Davila? - Bucharest, Romania, Email: koranik85@yahoo.com