We previously identified fucosylated haptoglobin (Fuc-Hpt) as a clinical serum biomarker of pancreatic cancer and established the novel glycan monoclonal antibody (mAb) 10-7G. This antibody recognizes cancer-associated haptoglobin including Fuc-Hpt and the precursor of haptoglobin. Interestingly, Western blot analysis showed that the 10-7G mAb reacts with the haptoglobin α chain, which has no N-glycan potential sites; haptoglobin β chain has four N-glycan sites. In this study, we identified the epitope for the 10-7G mAb using haptoglobin deletion mutants, as well as inhibition ELISA with recombinant peptides. We illustrated molecular graphics to show a relationship between the epitope and the β chain. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the 10-7G mAb minimally recognizes normal haptoglobin, but aberrant glycosylation on the β chain causes conformational changes, enabling the 10-7G mAb to easily access the epitope within the α chain. Because 10-7G values, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-immobilized 10-7G mAb, in patients with pancreatic cancer varied by haptoglobin phenotype, the amount of aberrant glycosylation needed to affect haptoglobin conformation probably depends on haptoglobin phenotype. Taken together, the 10-7G mAb recognized characteristic peptides on the haptoglobin α chain as a result of conformational changes and is a promising tool for diagnosing pancreatic cancer by haptoglobin phenotype.
Keywords: Epitope; Fucosylation; Glycan antibody; Haptoglobin phenotype; Pancreatic cancer; Prohaptoglobin.
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