Skip to main content
PMC home page
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases logoLink to Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
. 1988 Oct;47(10):833–837. doi: 10.1136/ard.47.10.833

Circulating levels of sialic acid and glycosaminoglycans: a diagnostic test for ankylosing spondylitis.

A K Susheela 1, T K Das 1, J S Khurana 1, A Jayaswal 1, P K Dave 1
PMCID: PMC1003612  PMID: 2973770

Abstract

The circulating levels of sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were measured in 69 patients with spinal disorders of orthopaedic interest (ankylosing spondylitis 17, osteofluorosis 6, idiopathic backache 10, osteoarthrosis 16, osteoporosis 20). The serum GAG levels showed no statistically significant change from control values in the five disorders investigated in the present study. Although osteoporosis and osteoarthrosis showed a decrease in serum sialic acid (SA) levels, the mean ratio (SA/GAG) demonstrated no change from control values. Idiopathic backache showed no difference in any of the parameters studied when compared with control values. Ankylosing spondylitis and osteofluorosis had a remarkable similarity in their clinical and radiological features, but a divergent mean value of ratio was noted. The mean ratio of both the conditions also showed a statistically significant difference from the control value. This suggests that the SA/GAG ratio can be used as a diagnostic test in ankylosing spondylitis.

Full text

PDF
833

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ashton B. A., Triffitt J. T., Herring G. M. Isolation and partial characterization of a glycoprotein from bovine cortical bone. Eur J Biochem. 1974 Jun 15;45(2):525–533. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1974.tb03577.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BADIN J., SCHUBERT M., VOURAS M. Plasma polysaccharide fraction containing uronic acid, in normal subjects and in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Clin Invest. 1955 Aug;34(8):1317–1323. doi: 10.1172/JCI103178. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BLUMBERG B., RAGAN C. The natural history of rheumatoid spondylitis. Medicine (Baltimore) 1956 Feb;35(1):1–31. doi: 10.1097/00005792-195602000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brewerton D. A., Hart F. D., Nicholls A., Caffrey M., James D. C., Sturrock R. D. Ankylosing spondylitis and HL-A 27. Lancet. 1973 Apr 28;1(7809):904–907. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)91360-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. CARTER A., MARTIN N. H. Serum sialic acid levels in health and disease. J Clin Pathol. 1962 Jan;15:69–72. doi: 10.1136/jcp.15.1.69. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Calabro J. J., Mody R. E. Management of ankylosing spondylitis. Bull Rheum Dis. 1966 Apr;16(8):408–411. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. DIXON A. S., LIENCE E. Sacro-iliac joint in adult rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthropathy. Ann Rheum Dis. 1961 Sep;20:247–257. doi: 10.1136/ard.20.3.247. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fisher L. W., Whitson S. W., Avioli L. V., Termine J. D. Matrix sialoprotein of developing bone. J Biol Chem. 1983 Oct 25;258(20):12723–12727. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gupta A. K., Sur B. K., Taneja D. K. Serum sialic acid in different bone disorders. J Indian Med Assoc. 1973 Feb 1;60(3):87–89. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jha M., Susheela A. K., Krishna N., Rajyalakshmi K., Venkiah K. Excessive ingestion of fluoride and the significance of sialic acid: glycosaminoglycans in the serum of rabbit and human subjects. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 1982 Dec;19(10):1023–1030. doi: 10.3109/15563658208992537. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. KERBY G. P. The effect of inflammation of the hexuronate-containing polysaccharides of human plasma. J Clin Invest. 1958 Jul;37(7):962–964. doi: 10.1172/JCI103691. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kendall M. J., Lawrence D. S., Shuttleworth G. R., Whitfield A. G. Haematology and biochemistry of ankylosing spondylitis. Br Med J. 1973 Apr 28;2(5860):235–237. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5860.235. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Khan M. A., Kushner I., Braun W. E. Comparison of clinical features in HLA-B27 positive and negative patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Arthritis Rheum. 1977 May;20(4):909–912. doi: 10.1002/art.1780200401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Linde A., Jontell M., Lundgren T., Nilson B., Svanberg U. Noncollagenous proteins of rat compact bone. J Biol Chem. 1983 Feb 10;258(3):1698–1705. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Omdal R., Aurebekk B. Sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid) in the synovial fluid and serum of patients with inflammatory and non-inflammatory joint disease. Scand J Rheumatol. 1985;14(1):87–89. doi: 10.3109/03009748509102028. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sanders K. M., Hertzman A., Escobar M. R., Littman B. H. Correlation of immunoglobulin and C reactive protein levels in ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1987 Apr;46(4):273–276. doi: 10.1136/ard.46.4.273. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Schlosstein L., Terasaki P. I., Bluestone R., Pearson C. M. High association of an HL-A antigen, W27, with ankylosing spondylitis. N Engl J Med. 1973 Apr 5;288(14):704–706. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197304052881403. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sheehan N. J., Slavin B. M., Donovan M. P., Mount J. N., Mathews J. A. Lack of correlation between clinical disease activity and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, acute phase proteins or protease inhibitors in ankylosing spondylitis. Br J Rheumatol. 1986 May;25(2):171–174. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/25.2.171. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Termine J. D., Belcourt A. B., Conn K. M., Kleinman H. K. Mineral and collagen-binding proteins of fetal calf bone. J Biol Chem. 1981 Oct 25;256(20):10403–10408. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Triffitt J. T., Owen M. E., Ashton B. A., Wilson J. M. Plasma disappearance of rabbit alpha2HS-glycoprotein and its uptake by bone tissue. Calcif Tissue Res. 1978 Dec 8;26(2):155–161. doi: 10.1007/BF02013251. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. West H. F. Aetiology of Ankylosing Spondylitis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1949 Jun;8(2):143–148. doi: 10.1136/ard.8.2.143. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Whiteman P. The quantitative measurement of Alcian Blue-glycosaminoglycan complexes. Biochem J. 1973 Feb;131(2):343–350. doi: 10.1042/bj1310343. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Woodrow J. C. Histocompatibility antigens and rheumatic diseases. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 1977 Feb;6(3):257–276. doi: 10.1016/0049-0172(77)90023-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES