title: Total and free serum sialic acid concentration in liver diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to compare the levels of total (TSA) and free (FSA) sialic acid in acute and chronic liver diseases. MaTERIALS AND METHODS: The serum TSA and FSA levels were determined in 278 patients suffering from acute and chronic liver diseases of different etiologies. TSA was estimated by enzymatic method and FSA by the thiobarbituric method modified by Skoza and Mohos.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in the serum TSA concentration between liver diseases of different etiologies, although in most of the liver diseases the mean TSA level was significantly lower than that in the control group. In contrast to TSA, the concentration of FSA appears to differ between liver diseases. In toxic hepatitis it was higher than that in nonalcoholic cirrhosis. However, neither of them differs between alcoholic and nonalcoholic cirrhosis or between liver tumors and tumors with cirrhosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that the changes in concentrations of TSA and FSA during the same liver diseases indicate significant disturbances in sialylation of serum glycoproteins.
authors: Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 15A Street, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland.
authors: Ewa
authors: E
authors: Gruszewska
authors: Department of Pediatric Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 17 Street, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland.
authors: Bogdan
authors: B
authors: Cylwik
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Bialystok, Zurawia 15 Street, 15-540 Bialystok, Poland.
authors: Anatol
authors: A
authors: Panasiuk
authors: Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 15A Street, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland.
authors: Maciej
authors: M
authors: Szmitkowski
authors: Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Medical University of Bialystok, Zurawia 15 Street, 15-540 Bialystok, Poland.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Flisiak
authors: Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 15A Street, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland.
authors: Lech
authors: L
authors: Chrostek
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid