Serum glycoproteins in protein-calorie deficiency disease

Abstract

Changes in serum glycoprotein were studied in Egyptian children suffering from acute protein-calorie deficiency disease (PCDD). Protein-bound hexose (PBH) and seromucoid in serum were determined in cases of protein-calorie deficiency disease and apparently healthy Egyptian children of comparable age. Serum glycoprotein fractions were separated by electrophoresis on cellulose acetate and stained by the PAS technique. Sera from 14 cases of PCDD and 9 control children were examined. The findings were as follows: 1) The mean values for total protein bound hexose (PBH) and seromucoid were found to be markedly elevated in PCDD as compared with the corresponding mean levels in apparently healthy Egyptian children of comparable age. 2) Glycoalbumin and β-glycoglobulin were low in acute PCDD as compared with control children. They rose during recovery; the mean value for glycoalbumin at this stage was significantly lower than that found in control children. 3) α₁-Glycoglobulin was elevated in acute PCDD. It showed a significant decrease during recovery. The mean values at both these stages were significantly higher than those in controls. 4) The mean levels of α₂- and γ-glycoglobulins were not altered in PCDD. 5) When the data for sick, recovering, and healthy children were pooled together, seromucoid and α₁-glycoglobulin showed negative correlation with serum albumin. This suggests that PCDD was a dominant influence in determining the level in serum of these components. 6) It is tentatively concluded that the observed phenomena probably reflect the combined action of infection and protein-calorie deficiency, since clinical PCDD is seldom pure nutritional deficiency uncomplicated by infection.