title: Alpha 1-antichymotrypsin microheterogeneity in crossed immunoaffinoelectrophoresis with free concanavalin A: a useful diagnostic tool in inflammatory syndrome.
abstract: Using crossed immunoaffinoelectrophoresis with free concanavalin A (Con A) in the first dimension and alpha-methyl-D-glucoside incorporated in the second-dimension gel, we examined the microheterogeneity of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (alpha 1Achy) in sera from healthy donors (N) and in sera from patients with various inflammatory syndromes. We studied three groups: patients with acute inflammation (myocardial infarction: MI, septic inflammation: SI), patients with chronic inflammation (metastatic breast cancer: MBC), and patients with chronic inflammation accompanied by acute attacks (connective-tissue disease: CTD). All pathological sera had a high alpha 1Achy concentration. Compared with N, MI and SI showed an increased proportion of Con A-reactive fraction and a decreased proportion of Con A-nonreactive fraction, which was more pronounced in SI. Unlike the patients with acute inflammation, patients with CTD showed an increased proportion of Con A-nonreactive fraction. Thus alpha 1Achy microheterogeneity in crossed immunoaffinoelectrophoresis may afford a means of differentiating between various inflammatory syndromes. In particular, it can provide a simple test: if the Con A-nonreactive fraction is in a proportion less than 17%, septic origin of an acute-phase reaction may be suspected.
authors.affiliation: Unité 16 de l'Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Lille, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hachulla
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hayem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D003208:Concanavalin A; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007123:Immunoelectrophoresis, Two-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; D003208:Concanavalin A