We have described methodology for the isolation and quantitation of glycosaminoglycans present in human plasma. Plasma glycosaminoglycans can be quantitatively adsorbed on a DEAE-Sephacel ion exchanger and eluted with a salt gradient as two groups: a low-charge fraction and a high-charge fraction. The low-charge fraction consists of chondroitin sulfate with a low sulfate content and the high-ch...

Previous studies have strongly suggested an association between glycosaminoglycans and tissue deposits of amyloid. The present study was aimed at studying this association in purified preparations of hepatic amyloid fibrils obtained from human AA type secondary amyloidosis. Glycosaminoglycans were isolated by gradient ion exchange chromatography of purified amyloid fibrils treated with pronase....

The effect of ascorbic acid on the synthesis, distribution and sulphation of glycosaminoglycans by human skin fibroblasts has been examined. Medium was supplemented with ascorbate over several days, and cultures incubated with [3H]glucosamine and Na2(35)SO4 for 48 h, followed by analysis of the glycosaminoglycans in the medium, in collagenase and trypsin extracts, and in cell fractions. Ascorba...

We have studied the ability of urinary molecules in altering the precipitation of kidney stone-related calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals and correlated the resulting morphologies with those of idiopathic COM kidney stones. We found that weakly acidic but highly glycosylated polyelectrolytes (Tamm Horsfall protein (THP), fetuinA, hyaluronic acid) do not significantly affect crystallizat...

Urinary glycosaminoglycan excretion was examined in 25 individuals with bladder cancer in comparison to glycosaminoglycan excretion by eight normal individuals. Urinary glycosaminoglycan was isolated by gel filtration and quantified as macromolecular uronate concentration. Electrophoresis in calcium acetate and densitometry of Alcian blue-stained electrophoretograms were used to separate and qu...

The present study has been carried out in the framework of a collaborative research project on the development of new markers of nephrotoxicity. A battery of more than 20 potential indicators of renal changes has been applied to 50 workers exposed to lead (Pb) and 50 control subjects. After application of selection criteria 41 exposed and 41 control workers were eventually retained for the fina...

In patients with emphysema the integrity of the extracellular matrix (connective tissue skeleton) is compromised. In this study we analyzed glycosaminoglycans, which are main constituents of this matrix, in urines from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)/emphysema. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were purified by anion exchange chromatography and quantified using the 1,9-dimeth...

Alfred Bernard, PhD, Unit of Industrial Toxicology and Occupational Medicine, Clos Chapelle-aux-Champs 30.54, B-1200 Brussels (Belgium) Dear Sir, Glycosaminoglycans (GAG) are the major constituents of the anion layer of the glomerular basement membrane which provides an electrostatic barrier to the filtration of anionic macromolecules like albumin [1]. It has been recently suggested that the in...

We investigated the presence and localization of glycosaminoglycans in basal laminar deposit and drusen in age-related maculopathy. Conventional histological staining techniques and monoclonal antibodies specific for several glycosaminoglycans were used on paraffin-embedded human maculae. Furthermore, macular homogenates were analyzed with two-dimensional electrophoresis. Quantitative analysis ...