[A study on glycosaminoglycans in a case of pulmonary emphysema (author's transl)].

The fraction of crude glycosaminoglycans was prepared from an emphysematous lung by means of proteolytic digestion, precipitation with ethanol and fractionation with CPC (cetylpyridinium chloride). The above fraction of crude glycosaminoglycans was then subjected to chromatography with a column of Dowex-1. Individual glycosaminoglycan species was identified based on the results of electrophoresis and on those of incubation with specific mucopolysaccharide-lyases. As a result, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate A (C), dermatan sulfate and heparan sulfate were detected. Quantitation of individual glycosaminoglycan species revealed that the ratio to total glycosaminoglycan of hyaluronic acid was smaller in the emphysematous than in the normal lung. The significance which can be attributed to the change in quantity of glycosaminoglycan of the lung was discussed in relation to pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema.