title: Transferrin microheterogeneity in rheumatoid arthritis. Relation with disease activity and anemia of chronic disease.
abstract: We studied the relation between disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the microheterogeneity of transferrin. Using crossed immuno isoelectric focusing, transferrin microheterogeneity patterns were analyzed in sera of healthy individuals, nonanemic RA patients, iron deficient RA patients and RA patients with the anemia of chronic disease (ACD). In all RA groups a significant shift in the microheterogeneity pattern was observed, reflecting increased synthesis of transferrins with highly branched glycan chains. Increased disease activity correlated with both the induction of ACD and the change in transferrin glycosylation, which was, therefore, most pronounced in ACD. Generally, an increased synthesis of glycoproteins is accompanied by alterations in their glycosylation pattern. Since transferrin is a negative acute phase protein, our results indicated that changes in synthetic rates and changes in glycosylation induced in the acute phase response are regulated independently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Feelders
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vreugdenhil
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Swaak
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: van Eijk
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D007536:Isomerism; D008875:Middle Aged; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012794:Sialic Acids; D014168:Transferrin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D007501:Iron; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid