[Study of glycosaminoglycan in human bile--especially in relationship to gallstone formation]

Human bile glycosaminoglycan (GAG) was examined in eight normal controls and 87 patients with hepatobiliary diseases, in order to elucidate a role and significance of GAG in gallstone formation. Each crude mucopolysaccharides (c-MP) were examined by carbohydrate analysis, additional two dimensional electrophoresis and DEAE Sephacel column chromatography. The yield of c-MP and total hexosamine concentration, a marker for mucin, were significantly higher in gallstone patients than controls both in gallbladder and hepatic bile. They were marked high values especially in cholestatic bile. Electrophoresis of GAG from normal and pathological bile identically showed single spot at unique position which mobility were similar to standard hyaluronic acid, but lower at both run, and they resisted enzymatic digestion. More detail analysis by chromatography revealed three peaks and second peak eluted at 0.85 M NaCl was thought to be the most important fraction. This fraction was rich in neutral sugar and its amino acid was composed almost entirely of glucosamine. Present results suggested that these GAG were peculiar to human bile and played a significant role in gallstone formation by quantitative change.