Studies on serum glycoproteins I. composition of the protein-bound carbohydrate in normal human serum

Abstract

The protein-bound carbohydrate in normal human serum has been studied. The means and the variation for the contents of hexosamine, hexose, sialic acid and fucose are given. In some cases galactosamine, glucosamine, galactose and mannose were assayed separately. The molecular ratio hexose/hexosamine/sialic acid seems to be close to 4/3/1. The individual variation strongly suggests that there are normally 2 predominant types of prosthetic units present: one with 2 hexose and 1 hexosamine molecules, one with 1 sialic acid and 1 hexosamine molecule. Smaller amounts of other units must also be there, at least some of them containing fucose.