Open AccessSugar printing rheumatic diseases: A potential method for disease differentiation using immunoglobulin G oligosaccharides
Author(s) -
Watson Mando,
Rudd Pauline M.,
Bland Martin,
Dwek Raymond A.,
Axford John S.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
arthritis & rheumatism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1529-0131
pISSN - 0004-3591
DOI - 10.1002/1529-0131(199908)42:8<1682::aid-anr17>3.0.co;2-x
Subject(s) - oligosaccharide , rheumatoid arthritis , psoriatic arthritis , medicine , pathogenesis , glycosylation , immunology , arthritis , ankylosing spondylitis , autoimmune disease , antibody , chemistry , biochemistry
Abstract Objective To look for oligosaccharide structural variants of IgG that may be unique to specific rheumatic diseases. Methods Using normal‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography technology, a comparison was made of the oligosaccharide pools released from serum IgG from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (n = 10), ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (n = 10), primary Sjögren's syndrome (n = 6), juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) (n = 13), psoriatic arthritis (n = 9), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n = 5), and healthy control individuals (n = 19). Results The oligosaccharide pools were resolved into 13 peaks and the relative proportions of the peaks in each disease group was significantly different from that in healthy controls ( P < 0.0001–0.05). A characteristic serum IgG oligosaccharide profile, or sugar print, for each of the rheumatic diseases was found. The sugar prints exhibited a range of glycosylation patterns whereby all RA ( P < 0.0001) and JCA ( P < 0.006) patients had predominantly agalactosyl structures, while SLE ( P < 0.03–0.0001) and AS ( P < 0.025–0.0001) patients had predominantly digalactosyl structures. Conclusion The data suggest that each disease is associated with a specific mechanism that gives rise to alterations in the normal glycosylation pattern of IgG. Sugar printing of IgG is therefore a potential means for the differentiation of rheumatic diseases and may provide insight into disease pathogenesis.