Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Glycosylated Serum Proteins Are Biomarkers for Severity of Liver Fibrosis

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 28 Apr 2022

The recently developed GlycoTyper assay was used to measure changes in the N-linked glycans on IgG subtypes in the blood, which can serve as surrogate markers of liver disease and may be able to replace the gold standard method, liver biopsy. More...

The determination of hepatic fibrosis is critical to stage the severity of liver disease and has been associated with prognosis. In this regard, investigators at Glycopath Inc., Charleston, SC, USA) and colleagues at the Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, SC, USA) developed the GlycoFibroTyper platform to directly address the need for a more high-throughput method for protein-specific glycan analysis from biological samples. This glycan profiling technology captures diagnostic glycoproteins from blood using antibodies. These captured proteins then undergo direct glycan analysis using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. This method requires only a few microliters of serum and utilizes a simplified processing protocol that requires no purification or sugar modifications prior to analysis.

Since alterations in N-linked glycans have been reported for IgG from large populations of patients with fibrosis and cirrhosis, the investigators utilized the GlycoFibroTyper platform to examine the glycosylation of total IgG, as well as IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4, which had not been examined before, in a cohort of patients with biopsy confirmed liver fibrosis. Patients were classified as either having no evidence of fibrosis (41 patients with no liver disease or stage zero fibrosis), early stage fibrosis (28 patients), or late stage fibrosis (46 patients).

Results revealed several major alterations in glycosylation that classified patients as having no fibrosis (sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 90%), early fibrosis (sensitivity of 84% with 90% specificity) or significant fibrosis (sensitivity of 94% with 90% specificity.

“Fibrosis is in essence just scarring,” said senior author Dr. Anand Mehta, professor of proteomic biomarkers at the Medical University of South Carolina. “Just as your skin can be scarred by scratching, your liver can be scarred by injury. Today you may have a little bit of scar tissue, but three years from now, you may have really bad fibrosis. If you are identified as having significant fibrosis or cirrhosis – an extreme form of fibrosis – your risk of developing liver cancer is very high. It is anywhere from 2% to 7% per year. There are other blood tests that people have developed, but they generally do not work very well – they detect only about 30% to 50% of people with advanced fibrosis. We could classify patients with about 85% to 95% accuracy to fall within those three groups.”

The liver fibrosis study was published in the February 7, 2022, online edition of the journal Frontiers in Immunology.

Related Links:
Glycopath Inc. 
Medical University of South Carolina 


Gold Member
Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile pHOx
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
New
Human Estradiol Assay
Human Estradiol CLIA Kit
New
HBV DNA Test
GENERIC HBV VIRAL LOAD VER 2.0
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The VENTANA HER2 (4B5) test is now CE-IVDR approved (Photo courtesy of Roche)

Companion Diagnostic Test Identifies HER2-Ultralow Breast Cancer and Biliary Tract Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Europe, with more than 564,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Metastatic breast cancer is rising in younger populations and remains the leading cause... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: An adult fibrosarcoma case report has shown the importance of early diagnosis and targeted therapy (Photo courtesy of Sultana and Sailaja/Oncoscience)

Accurate Pathological Analysis Improves Treatment Outcomes for Adult Fibrosarcoma

Adult fibrosarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy that develops in connective tissue and often affects the limbs, trunk, or head and neck region. Diagnosis is complex because tumors can mimic... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.