Connective tissue synthesis by cultured scleroderma fibroblasts. II. Incorporation of 3h-glucosamine and synthesis of glycosaminoglycans.

Fibroblasts from normal and scleroderma skin, grown tissue culture, were incubated with 3H-glucosamine for 24 hours. No definite trends could be established in 3H-glucosamin incorporation or glycosaminoglycan synthesis. Over 90% of the total 3H activity as well as the glycosaminoglycans synthesized were secreted into the medium. Characterization of glycosaminoglycans showed that in both the medium and cells, hyaluronic acid ins the major glycosaminoglycan in normal and scleroderma fibroblasts. In the medium, hyaluronic acid represented 87% of the total glycosaminoglycans; it was slightly decreased in the cells. Fibroblasts were compared from the upper and lower areas of the affected dermis and an uninvolved dermal area of the same scleroderma patients.