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Serum protein N ‐glycosylation in paediatric non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Author(s) -
Blomme B.,
Fitzpatrick E.,
Quaglia A.,
Bruyne R.,
Dhawan A.,
Vlierberghe H.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
pediatric obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.226
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 2047-6310
pISSN - 2047-6302
DOI - 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2011.00024.x
Subject(s) - medicine , steatohepatitis , steatosis , gastroenterology , fatty liver , biomarker , population , fibrosis , glycomics , inflammation , pathology , disease , glycan , biochemistry , biology , environmental health , glycoprotein
Summary Objective We have previously shown the potential of glycomics to distinguish patients with steatosis from patients with non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis ( NASH ) in an adult population. The pattern of disease in paediatric patients is distinct from adults. The objective of this study was to characterize the N ‐ glycomic profile of children with varying degrees of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD ) and identify potential biomarker profiles of disease. Methods Serum protein N ‐glycosylation patterns of 51 paediatric NAFLD patients were assessed with deoxyribonucleic acid sequencer‐assisted fluorophore‐assisted capillary electrophoresis and compared with histology. Results Peak 1 ( NGA2F ) is the most significantly elevated N ‐glycan in paediatric NASH patients with peak 5 ( NA2 ) demonstrating the largest decrease. The logarithmically transformed ratio of peak 1 to peak 5 was −0.85 (standard deviation [ SD ] 0.22) in patients with steatosis and borderline NASH and −0.73 ( SD 0.12) in NASH ( P = 0.02). The biomarker correlated well with the amount of lobular inflammation with a consistent increase of marker score in ascending stage of lobular inflammation. There was also a trend in differentiating patients with significant fibrosis ≥ F2 ; −0.74 ( SD 0.13) from patients with no/minimal fibrosis < F2 ; −0.86 ( SD 0.24), P = 0.06. Analysis of the N ‐glycans on immunoglobulin G confirmed the undergalactosylation status typical for chronic inflammatory conditions. Conclusions This study is the first glycomic analysis performed in a paediatric NAFLD population. In agreement with the results obtained in adults, B cells play a dominant role in the N ‐glycan alterations of paediatric NASH patients.