Concanavalin agglutinin levels are decreased in peripheral blood of Alzheimer's disease patients

• Published in: Journal of Alzheimer's disease Vol. 49; no. 1; p. 63
• Main Authors: Sun, Xuying, Ma, Ronghong, Yao, Xiuqing, Shang, Xiaoling, Wang, Qun, Wang, Jian-Zhi, Liu, Gongping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - blood; Biomarkers - blood; Case-Control Studies; Concanavalin A - blood; Female; Humans; Lectins - blood; Male; Plant Lectins - blood; glycoproteins; peripheral blood; Alzheimer’s disease; lectin; Con A
• ISSN: 1875-8908
• DOI: 10.3233/JAD-150539

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.