[Characterization of hepatic bile mucus glycoprotein in hepatolithiasis]

To study the characterization of hepatic bile mucus glycoprotein in hepatolithiasis cases, we isolated glycoprotein from the bile of patients with intrahepatic gallstones by gel filtration and ultracentrifugation. The carbohydrate chains of mucus glycoprotein were released by hydrazinolysis. The properties of the hepatolithiasis carbohydrate chains were compared with those of a control group. The mucus glycoprotein concentration in bile in hepatolithiasis patients (299.9 micrograms/ml) was higher than that in the controls (28.0 micrograms/ml). Both groups had no evident changes in molecular weight or amino acid composition. The quantities of N-Galactosamine and sulfate in the hepatolithiasis group were larger than in those of the control group. Carbohydrate chain lengths in the hepatolithiasis group were shorter than those in the control group. This phenomenon suggests that mucus glycoprotein of the bile in hepatolithiasis patients has a different metabolism and biological function from that of normal bile.