Cellular carbohydrate moieties of 65 human dysonotogenetic brain tumors (craniopharyngioma, epidermoid/dermoid, Rathke cleft cyst, germinoma and non-germinomatous germ-cell tumors) and 60 common brain tumors (glioma, meningioma, neurinoma and pituitary adenoma) were investigated histochemically using sections from Ulex europaeus (UEA-1), Dolichos biflorus (DBA), peanut (PNA) and soybean (SBA), and with anti-blood group A and LewisY (LeyY) antibodies. In craniopharyngiomas and epidermoid/dermoids, it was found that PNA and SBA binding sites existed in suprabasal cells of the epithelium, and that antigen of either blood group A or H (demonstrable by UEA-1) existed in more differentiated epithelial cells compared to the results reported in normal human skin epidermis. Rathke cleft cysts were stained with PNA or SBA, and two out of three Rathke cleft cysts also expressed either H or A antigen. In addition, DBA binding sites, as well as LeY antigen, were frequently seen in craniopharyngiomas and Rathke cleft cysts, but they were entirely absent in the epithelium of epidermoid/dermoid. On the other hand, PNA and SBA reactivities was also found in common brain tumors, while blood group A, H and LeY antigens and DBA reactivity were almost absent in these tumors. These findings demonstrate that carbohydrate moieties such as those of blood group antigens reported to be found in human skin epidermis exist in a similar form in craniopharyngioma, epidermoid/dermoid and the Rathke cleft cyst. The identification of blood group A, H and LeY antigens and DBA reactivity in brain tumors seems to be considerably limited and specific.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)