ISSN: 2168-958X
+44 1478 350008
Ewa Maria Kratz, Ewa Zurawska-Plaksej and Agnieszka Piwowar
Wroclaw Medical University, Poland
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Glycobiol
Chitotriosidase (CHIT1) is the first active chitinase discovered in human plasma. The exact functions of this enzyme are unexplained, but its involvement in the inflammatory processes has been suggested. Increased level of CHIT1 is also observed in type-2 diabetes (T2D). Since immunoreactivity and glycosylation profile of this protein have not been studied yet, we analyzed CHIT1 immunoblotting pattern and O-glycans expression in healthy subjects and T2D patients. CHIT1 concentration and activity were measured using immunoenzymatic and fluorometric techniques, respectively. Plasma samples from healthy and diabetic individuals were pooled and electrophoresed in SDS-polyacrylamide gel. Western blotting was used for detection of CHIT1 bands. The glycosylation was studied with lectin-ELISA with biotinylated lectins: Jacalin, Maclura pomifera and Vicia villosa, detects complete and truncated O-glycans, respectively. We observed significantly higher CHIT1 concentration and activity in diabetic patients than in controls (p<0.001). In the examined groups, bands corresponding to CHIT1 molecular mass had slightly different locations: 49 kDa and 45 kDa for healthy and T2D subjects, respectively. The expression of glycotopes reacting with applied lectins was lower in T2D and significantly different in analyzed groups (p<0.01). The differences in molecular masses of CHIT1 in examined groups may derive from the alterations in CHIT1 glycosylation observed by us. In diabetes, the higher CHIT1 concentration and activity was accompanied by significantly decreased CHIT1 reactivity with lectins, what may affect CHIT1 properties and have association with disease progression. Further analysis of CHIT1 glycome may be helpful in better understanding of chitotriosidase biological function in T2D pathology.
Email: ewa.kratz@umed.wroc.pl