Carbohydrate composition of serum transferrin in alcoholic patients.

Previous studies have shown that sialic acid-deficient isotransferrins appear in serum during chronic alcohol abuse. In this investigation whole serum transferrin from alcoholic patients and healthy controls was isolated by antitransferrin affinity chromatography and the total levels of sialic acid, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine, and mannose were analyzed. The results showed that the concentrations of sialic acid and galactose as well as N-acetylglucosamine were reduced in all of the alcoholics studied. These findings indicate that chronic ethanol misuse exerts a more complex effect on the glycans of transferrin than previously realized.