Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) characteristics of some 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives using binary acetonitrile-water mixtures as mobile phase.

The retention behavior of 28 synthesized 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives in a reversed-phase (RP) high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system has been studied on a C18-RP column using acetonitrile-water mixtures as mobile phase. The influences of the composition of mobile phase and the solute structure on the retention times of 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives were investigated by linear solvation free energy relationship (LSFER) and quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) analyses. Among different solvatochromic parameters of solvent systems, their polarity/polarizability parameter (pi*) was identified as the controlling factor affecting retention behavior of these compounds. A four-parametric QSRR model was obtained between solute structures and retention indices. Finally, a unified model containing both the molecular structure parameters and mobile phase properties was developed to describe the chromatographic behavior of the systems studied. The resulted QSRR models could explain and predict higher than 90% of variances in the retention indices. Among the solvent properties, polarity/polarizability parameter (pi*), and among the solute properties, HATS5v (leverage-weighted autocorrelation of lag 5/weighted by atomic van der Waals volumes, GETAWAY descriptors), Mor14p (3D-MoRSE-signal 14/weighted by atomic polarizabilities, 3D-MoRSE descriptors), GATS5p (Geary autocorrelation-lag 5/weighted by atomic polarizabilities, 2D autocorrelations) and R6u+(R maximal autocorrelation of lag 6/unweighted, GETAWAY descriptors) were identified as controlling factors in the RP-HPLC behavior of 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives in actonitrile-water binary solvents.

Ratio of IgG:IgM antibodies to sialyl Lewis(x) and GM3 correlates with tumor growth after immunization with melanoma-cell vaccine with different adjuvants in mice.

Human melanoma cells (from biopsies and culture) express sialyl-Lewis(x) and sialyl Lewis(a), the ligands for ECAM. These ligands may facilitate tumor progression and metastasis in human cancers. To test whether the antibodies to these ligands inhibit tumor progression, IgG and IgM responses to sLe(x) and sLe(a) were induced in C57BL/6j mice (n = 76) by immunization with human melanoma cells, with or without adjuvants (BCG, MPL, KLH). Control mice were treated with saline or BCG. Tumor growth and antigen expression were monitored after challenge with B16 mouse melanoma cells expressing sLe(x), sLe(a) and the ganglioside GM3. Tumor growth was reduced in mice immunized with BCG alone or cells with BCG or MPL, while tumors in mice receiving cells without adjuvants grew larger than in the control. Augmentation of IgM titers to sLe(x) and GM3 after immunization with BCG, or with cells with BCG or MPL correlated with retarded tumor growth, while increased IgG titers to sLe(x) significantly correlated with aggressive tumor growth in mice immunized with cells without adjuvants. SLe(x), sLe(a) and GM3 were expressed in tumors from mice treated with saline or BCG. SLe(x) expression, in particular, was lost in tumors growing in mice immunized with cells with or without adjuvants. Anti-sLe(x) antibodies may promote or prevent tumor growth by antigenic modulation or by cytotoxic killing of tumor cells. Since early anti-sLe(x) IgM correlated with tumor regression, in contrast to anti-sLe(x) IgG, it may serve as a potential early endpoint for the effectiveness of melanoma vaccines expressing the antigens.

Endothelial-selectin ligands sialyl Lewis(x) and sialyl Lewis(a) are differentiation antigens immunogenic in human melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Sialyl Lewis(x) (sLe(x)) and sialyl Lewis(a) (sLe(a)), the endothelial-selectin ligands involved in extravasation of neutrophils and carcinomas, have been identified in human melanoma. This study explored the following issue: If these ligands are immunogenic tumor-differentiation antigens, they would be potential targets for immunotherapy because of their putative roles in extravasation and metastasis. METHODS: Using a cell-suspension enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the expression of sLe(x) and sLe(a) on the surface of normal melanocytes, melanoma cells from biopsies, and cell lines (M10-v, M24, and M101) constituting melanoma cell vaccine (MCV) were quantitated. Melanoma patients were immunized with the MCV expressing these antigens. Sera of normal individuals, sera of patients, and sera that adsorbed to sLe(x) and sLe(a) were titrated for anti-sLe antibodies by ELISA to verify the immunogenicity of the ligands. RESULTS: The normal melanocytes did not express sLe(x) and poorly expressed sLe(a). Melanoma cells from tumor biopsies and MCV lines expressed both sLe(x) and sLe(a). Sialyl Le(x) was associated with glycoprotein(s) in M10-v, and sLe(a) occurred as a glycolipid moiety in M24. MCV recipients developed high titers for immunoglobulin (Ig)M but not IgG to both ligands. IgM titers to these ligands were low in normal subjects. In some of the preimmune sera of patients, the titers were threefold above normal. Six of 13 MCV recipients developed at least a twofold increase in anti-sLe titers above preimmune level after the second or third immunization. Adsorption studies suggested that both ligands were immunogenic. CONCLUSIONS: The melanoma-associated sLe(x) and sLe(a) are immunogenic neoplasm-differentiation antigens and are therefore potential targets for passive and active specific immunotherapy in the treatment of melanoma.

Cellular cancer vaccine induces delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction and augments antibody response to tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (sialyl Le(a), sialyl Le(x), GD3 and GM2) better than soluble lysate cancer vaccine.

Allogenic whole cell and lysate cancer vaccines are associated with very different clinical outcome, which could be due to different immune responses to critical tumor-associated antigens. We used a guinea pig model to evaluate the immune responses to melanoma-associated carbohydrate antigens administered in whole cell and soluble lysate vaccines produced from the same cell lines and administered with or without Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG). Animals immunized with whole cell vaccine developed a significantly higher delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction. The IgG response to all tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens except GD2 was significantly higher in animals immunized with whole cell vaccine than lysate vaccine. This study indicates that whole cell vaccine is superior to soluble or lysate vaccine because it induces a better immune response against cell-surface antigens. The addition of BCG significantly increased the antibody response, suggesting that an exogenous adjuvant may immunopotentiate antigens better in the presence of an intact cell membrane.