Concanavalin Agglutinin Levels are Decreased in Peripheral Blood of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Sun, Xuying^{a; b; c; 1} | Ma, Ronghong^{d; 1} | Yao, Xiuqing^{b; c; 1} | Shang, Xiaoling^{b; c; 1} | Wang, Qun^{b; c} | Wang, Jian-Zhi^{b; c; e; *} | Liu, Gongping^{b; c; e; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Translational Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China | [b] Department of Pathophysiology, The School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China | [c] Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, The School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China | [d] Department of Clinical Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China | [e] Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Gongping Liu, Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, the School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030. P.R. China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, JS 226001, China. Tel.: +86 27 83692625; Fax: +86 27 83693883; E-mail: liugp111@mail.hust.edu.cn (G. Liu)

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Jian-Zhi Wang, Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Neurological Disorders, the School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030. P.R. China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, JS 226001, China. Tel.: +86 27 83692625; Fax: +86 27 83693883; E-mail: wangjz@mail.hust.edu.cn(J.Z. Wang).

Note: [1] These authors have contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) seriously threatens patients’ lives and causes severe burden to the families. Early prevention and treatment can alleviate the development of the disease; therefore it is important to find new effective and non-traumatic biomarkers for early diagnosis. In this study, peripheral blood samples were collected from 24 AD patients and the same number of age- and gender-matched control subjects. Lectin reactive glycosylation levels including beta-D-galactosyl ricinus communis agglutinin 120 (RCA), peanut agglutinin (PNA), concanavalin agglutinin (Con A), alpha-L-fucosyl ulex europeus agglutinin (UEA), dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), and galanthus nivalis (GNL), in the red blood cells of peripheral blood were examined by western blotting. We found that lectin levels were altered with aging and gender; some lectin levels were different between AD patients and the control subjects. Only Con A levels were significantly decreased in AD patients compared to age-matched control subjects. These results suggest that Con A levels in peripheral blood may be a potent diagnostic marker for AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, Con A, glycoproteins, lectin, peripheral blood

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-150539

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 63-72, 2016