Serum Protein-Bound Carbohydrate Pattern in Normal Subjects and in Patients with Multiple Myeloma

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Abstract
The hexose, hexosamine and sialic acid contents of serum protein fractions have been determined in 13 normal subjects and in 16 patients with multiple myeloma by f ractionation by electrophoresis in polyvinyl chloride supporting medium and subsequent analysis of each carbohydrate from serial sections of the block. The carbohydrate content of the 4 main globulins increases roughly in line with their electrophoretic mobility, the correlation between the latter and sialic acid content being almost linear. This applies to both normal and myeloma sera. As compared to normal, the carbohydrate of all fractions is increased in myeloma, particularly in the [beta]-type, and the myeloma proteins do not deviate from this general pattern. Thus the protein component present in huge amounts in myeloma serum is almost identical with its electrophoretic counterpart of normal serum in this respect. This result thus supports the concept that the myeloma proteins are normal serum constituents produced in greatly increased amounts. A slightly higher relative content of hexosamine is the only difference between normal [beta]- and gamma-globulins and the corresponding fractions, of myeloma serum.