Clara L. Shetlar

Comparison of serum C-reactive protein, glycoprotein and seromucoid in cancer, arthritis, tuberculosis and pregnancy.

Summary and Conclusions C-reactive protein has been found to be present in cancer as well as in acute inflammatory states. In cancer, acute rheumatoid arthritis and active tuberculosis, CRP is significantly corrated with seromucoid. A lesser but significant correlation was found between serum glycoprotein and CRP in these conditions. In pregnancy which was characteristically accompanied by elevated serum glycoprotein and normal seromucoid concentrations, CRP was only occasionally found. This suggests that the elevated serum glycoprotein levels of pregnancy may be due to causes other than inflammation.

Serum Polysaccharide Levels in Experimental Inflammation.

Summary and Conclusions Studies were made of serum polysaccharide levels in dogs following the production of sterile turpentine abscesses, of bacterial abscesses, and of talc granulomas, the injection of turpentine intrapleurally, and experimental surgical operations. In all cases the polysaccharide level rose and the maximal level depended somewhat upon the type of inflammation. Elevation occurred both in the presence and absence of fever. The maximal elevation appeared within 3 to 6 days after the initial injury. The suggestion is made that this phenomenon is correlated in some way with tissue proliferation or repair.

Effect of epidermal damage upon serum polysaccharides.

Summary and conclusions Epidermal thermal injury in dogs resulted in an elevation of total polysaccharide in both lymph and serum and of the polysaccharide of both the albumin and α-globulin (pseudoglobulin) fractions isolated by salt precipitation methods. The elevation of the polysaccharide of the albumin fraction was shown to be due to an elevation of the mucoprotein polysaccharide. The mucoprotein content of the lymph and serum from the same animal were nearly the same indicating that this component may pass easily between tissue fluids and blood plasma. Preliminary studies of the effects of adrenocorticotropic hormone on animals with epidermal thermal injuries indicate that this substance has no effect on the elevation of mucoprotein, but may repress the elevation of α-globulin polysaccharide.

Serum Protein and Glycoprotein Alteration in Swine with Experimental Arthritis.

Summary A serial study was made of protein and glycoprotein changes of swine during arthritis which follows recovery from Erysipelothrix infections. As in sera from humans with rheumatoid arthritis, elevated serum glycoprotein, seromucoid and serum globulins and lowered serum albumin concentrations were noted in swine sera during active phases of the disease. No serum α1-globulin was identified in swine sera. During remissions of experimental arthritis, serum glycoprotein levels decreased and the serum albumin increased. Cortisone treatment of animals with active arthritis produced clinical improvement accompanied by striking increases of albumin protein with decreases of seromucoid, serum γ-globulin protein and γ-globulin bound hexose concentrations.

Effect of Cortisone on Serum Glycoprotein and Seromucoid Levels of Rats

Summary Daily doses of 2-3 mg of cortisone acetate injected subcutaneously were without significant effect on the seromucoid hexose polysaccharide in rats after treatment for 14 days. Massive dosages (5-10 mg per day) resulted in significant elevations of seromucoid and slightly lowered serum glycoprotein polysaccharide levels. Starvation resulted in similarly lowered serum glycoprotein levels, but had no significant effect on seromucoid. Injection of turpentine subcutaneously in rats resulted in large elevations of both glycoprotein and seromucoid 4 days after injection. It appears unlikely therefore, that elevations of protein bound carbohydrate following stress can be related to the elaboration of cortisone-like compounds.

Comparison of Continuous and Strip Paper Electrophoresis Technics for Study of Serum Glycoproteins.

Summary A continuous paper electro-phoretic technic was compared with a paper strip electrophoretic technic as a tool for the study of serum protein and glycoprotein fractions. Protein and glycoprotein for the continuous electrophoretic study were quanti-tated by analyses of the fractions by the biuret and tryptophan reactions. The glyco-proteins by the strip technic were quantitated by the periodic acid Schiff reaction and the protein strips by the bromophenol blue staining. In both cases the strips were evaluated with an automatic photoelectric scanner. Good agreement between the two methods for both protein and glycoprotein was noted.

Effect of Fever on Serum Polysaccharide Level

Summary and Conclusions Experimental fever in dogs caused by external heating or by injection of a pyrogenic substance resulted in a significant elevation of total serum nonglu-cosamine polysaccharide. An elevation of the polysaccharide content of the pseudo-globulin was noted in all animals, while an elevation of mucoprotein was noted only in the animals subjected to the injections of the pyrogenic substance, pyromen.