Sugar composition of glycoproteins isolated from normal and sclerotic human aortas

The sugar composition of glycoproteins isolated from sclerotic and adjacent healthy areas of 10 Japanese thoracic aortas was studied. Of the component sugars of glycoprotein, sialic acid was decreased in the presence of atherosclerotic changes of the aorta. The correlation between the total hexose content of glycoprotein and atherosclerosis was not decisive. Gas-liquid chromatographic analyses showed that the difference in mutual ratios of isomeric hexoses (mannose, galactose and glucose) between aortas was more conspicuous than that between sclerotic and healthy areas of the same aortas. In addition to galactose and mannose, glucose was detected in all the samples analysed.