The Profile of Serum Transferrin Isoforms in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Introduction Transferrin, a microheterogeneous iron-transporting N-glycoprotein, is an optimal model for the analysis of the glycosylation profile in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to assess the transferrin isoforms profile in RA patients at the time of diagnosis and then look into their associations with disease activity. Methods Serum samples were collected from 48 patients with RA. The patients were males (6) and females (42) (age range: 33–85 years). Control group consisted of 30 healthy volunteers. Transferrin isoforms were analysed by capillary electrophoresis on MINICAP electrophoretic system. Results There was a significant decrease in the relative concentrations of trisialo- (mean ± SD; 2.130 ± 1.112) and pentasialotransferrin (13.562 ± 3.088), and significant increase in tetrasialotransferrin (83.640 ± 3.165) in RA patients when compared to the control group (3.615 ± 1.156; 76.840 ± 5.621; 18.610 ± 6.027, respectively) (U Mann–Whitney test: p
Source: JCR: Journal of Clinical Rheumatology - Category: Rheumatology Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research