Peritoneal proteoglycans: much more than ground substance.

Recent advances in the field of glycobiology have exposed a multitude of biological processes that are controlled or influenced by proteoglycans, in both physiological and pathological conditions ranging from early embryonic development, inflammation, and fibrosis to tumor invasion and metastasis. The first part of this article reviews the biosynthesis of proteoglycans and their multifunctional roles in health and disease; the second part of this review focuses on their putative roles in peritoneal homeostasis and peritoneal inflammation and fibrosis in the context of chronic peritoneal dialysis and peritonitis.