Changes in the serum alpha glycoprotein distribution in trauma patients.

Serum electropherograms of trauma patients, when stained for glycoproteins, show striking changes in the alpha glycoproteins of these patients which revert to normal if and when they recover. Thus monitoring of the glycoprotidograms of trauma patients (contrary to ordinary protidograms) is likely to afford important information on the course of these patients' recovery. Of two glycoproteins that have been more closely studied, one, alpha1A acid glycoprotein, is a phagocytosis inhibitor; it is increased in the sera of trauma patients. The other, alpha2HS glycoprotein, is a phagocytosis promotor (or opsonin); it is decreased in the sera of trauma patients. Both the increase of the first and the decrease of the second glycoprotein may thus contribute to the known increased proneness to bacterial infection among these patients.