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TgAb glycosylation levels higher in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis
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Higher glycosylation levels are present in the antithyroglobulin immunoglobulin G of those patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis than in the antithyroglobulin immunoglobulin G of healthy controls, according to recent study findings.
In the study, researchers evaluated 32 patients previously diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with elevated antithyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) levels and 15 healthy control participants. Participants were enrolled in the study from 2011 to 2012, and each provided at least a 5-mL serum sample.
The researchers used electroluminescence immunoassay to evaluated serum TgAb and thyroid peroxidase antibodies. Based on the levels of serum TgAb, participants with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis were stratified into two subgroups: a medium Hashimoto’s thyroiditis level group (n=15) and a high level group (n=17).
The researchers purified TgAb IgG from the total IgG samples of all participants using affinity chromatography and identified the glycosylation profiles of purified TgAb IgG using MALDI-QIT-TOF-MS/MS spectrometry. The researchers also used lectin microarray technology to detect levels of glycan found on TgAb IgG and compared these levels for all participants.
The researchers found that based on MALDI-QIT-TOF-MS/MS spectrometry, the glycosylation profiles of TgAb and IgG were similar between both Hashimoto’s thyroiditis subgroups and the control group. The lectin microarray revealed that, compared with the control group (all P<.001), the Hashimoto’s thyroiditis group had higher levels of mannose, terminal sialic acid, core fucose and terminal galactose N-acetylglucosamine mannose glycans. Similar patterns were noted between the high and medium level subgroups with the high level group exhibiting higher levels of mannose, terminal sialic acid, core fucose and terminal galactose N-acetylglucosamine mannose glycans.
According to the researchers, these findings provide new insights into the role played by TgAb IgG in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
“In conclusion, our present study provides for the first time evidence that the glycosylation levels of TgAb IgG in [Hashimoto’s thyroiditis] patients is elevated, and that the glycosylation patterns are altered relative to TgAb IgG found in healthy donors,” the researchers wrote. “Thus, our study provides new clues that should allow for more detailed exploration of the role of TgAb in the pathogenesis of [Hashimoto’s thyroiditis] in the future.”
Disclosure: The study was funded in part by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation, Beijing Nova program, National Nature Science Foundation of China and the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University.
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