[The concentration of sialylated glycoproteins in the sera of alcohol dependent men].

UNLABELLED

Alcohol misuse impairs the glycosylation, secretion and metabolism of glycoproteins what may influence on their blood concentration.

THE AIM OF THIS STUDY

To evaluate the effect of alcohol abuse on the level of sialylated glycoproteins such as: alpha1-antitripsin, alpha1-acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, transferrin, complement C3 protein, immunoglobulin G and fibrinogen in the blood.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study was carried out in 156 alcohol dependent men, who were divided into 6 subgroups according to three criteria: the amounts of weekly alcohol intake, the time of abstinence before examination and the period of last drinking; and in 35 healthy social drinkers. The concentration of glycoproteins was measured using an immunoturbidimetric methods.

RESULTS

There were changes in the serum levels of 3 from 8 tested glycoproteins in alcohol dependent men. The concentrations of alantitripsin and alpha1-acid glycoprotein were increased, but of transferrin - decreased. The analysis of glycoproteins according to the history of alcohol abuse showed that alpha1-acid glycoprotein, ceruloplasmin and complement C3 protein were sensitive to the amounts of weekly alcohol intake. The alpha1-antitripsin, as the only, was sensitive to the period of last drinking. None of the tested glycoproteins was sensitive to the time of abstinence before examination.

CONCLUSION

Alcohol abuse leads to the alterations of sialylated glycoproteins concentrations in the blood, what is a proof of disturbances in their synthesis in the liver. The direction of these changes is typical of acute phase reaction. The quantitative alterations may accompany the qualitative changes in the form of glycosylation disturbances, what is documented by the increased concentration of low sialylated isoforms of transfferin.