Changes of serum glycans during sepsis and acute pancreatitis

Acute inflammatory response is a complex process associated with the production of both pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators. Although it is generally considered to be a single homeostatic mechanism, there are differences associated with the nature and the site of inflammation. We examined the changes of N-linked glycans released from the serum of a patient with sepsis and a patient with acute pancreatitis during the first eight days of the disease. Sera were taken from patients at the time of reporting to hospital and then three more times. The blood from a healthy individual was drawn on one occasion only. Glycans were released using N-glycosidase F and were subjected to normal phase and weak anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography, exoglycosidase digestions, and mass spectrometry. The levels of identified structures have been followed through the course of disease and compared to the control levels. Changes in serum glycans were found to occur very early in acute inflammation. The most prominent differences include the increase in ratio of outer arm to core fucose, increase in the amount of tetrasialylated structures, changes in the levels of mannose structures, and in the degree of branching. The relative proportions of different glycans changed daily and some differences were also observed between sepsis and pancreatitis, probably reflecting that in these two conditions, the acute phase response is triggered by a different stimulus that is associated with different patterns of production of cytokines.