Electrophoretic analysis of the glycan microheterogeneity of orosomucoid in cancer and inflammation

Using crossed affinoimmunoelectrophoresis with free concanavalin A the glycandependent microheterogeneity of the immunoregulatory glycoprotein orosomucoid was examined in serum from 30 healthy individuals, 28 patients with benign chronic inflammation and 56 patients with cancer of various types and stages and before and after surgery. We found significant differences in glycan structure between the different patient groups. Thus the patients with the acute phase reaction of surgery differed from patients with chronic inflammation, and patients with testicular cancer differed from patients with colorectal cancer in having a greater proportion of biantennary glycan orosomucoid. Surgery was found to result in a temporary change in the relative proportions of the three microheterogeneity types of orosomucoid, lasting about one week.