Glycosaminoglycans in extracts of cardiac amyloid fibrils from familial amyloid cardiomyopathy of Danish origin related to variant transthyretin Met 111.

We have previously demonstrated an association between secondary AA type amyloid fibrils and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in human liver. The present study was aimed at investigating whether a similar association could be demonstrated in isolated cardiac amyloid fibrils from a unique Danish family with amyloid cardiomyopathy related to variant transthyretin (TTR) with a single amino acid substitution of a methionin for leucine at position 111 (TTR Met 111). Using gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography, significant amounts of GAGs were detected in close association with purified myocardial amyloid fibrils, whereas only trace amounts of polysaccharides were present in the corresponding normal preparation. The GAGs were identified as 50% chondroitin sulfate, 33% heparin/heparan sulfate, and 17% hyaluronan. With the methods used the amyloid associated GAGs appeared as high molecular weight free polysaccharide chains, and not as part of intact proteoglycans (PGs) in the fibril extracts. We conclude that the association between purified amyloid fibrils and GAGs may be a general feature of amyloid deposits. Also, we suggest that the proportion of different GAGs in the amyloid deposits may depend both on the organ or tissues affected and the type of proteins making up the fibrils.