Previous reports (1-4) have indicated the clini- cal usefulness of a color reaction given by serum with the diphenylamine reagent of Dische. It has been shown that the purple color produced in this reaction is probably due to the presence of a deoxyhexose structure in the sialic acid molecule (5). Sialic acid, or a closely related substance, appears to be a common constituent of mucopro- teins (glycoproteins) including orosomucoid of serum (6, 7). The color produced in the diphenyl- amine reaction reflects the concentration of the mucoproteins in the serum being tested. In our experience, and as reported by Anderson and Maclagan (8), the color developed with diphenyl- amine appears to be a specific reaction of muco- proteins. An elevation in the mucoproteins found in the alpha globulin fraction of serum is characteristic of many diseases (7).
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Hess et al. (1957) studied this question.