Characterization of glycosaminoglycans from human normal and scoliotic nasal cartilage with particular reference to dermatan sulfate

The composition and the distribution of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) present i n normal human nasal cartilage (HN-NC), were examined and compared with tho se in human scoliotic nasal cartilage (HSNQ. In both tissues, hyaluronan (H A), keratan sulfate (KS) and the galactosaminoglycans (GalAGs) - chondroiti n sulfate (CS) and dermatan sulfate (DS) - were identified. The overall GAG content in HSNC was approx. 30% higher than the HNNC. Particularly, a 114% increase in HA, and 46% and 86% in KS and DS, respectively, was recorded. CS was the main type of GAG in both tissues with no significant composition al difference. GalAG chains in HSNC exhibited an altered disaccharide compo sition which was associated with significant increases of non-sulfated and 6-sulfated disaccharides. DS, which was identified and quantitated for the first time in HNNC and HSNC, contained low amounts of iduronic acid IdoA), 18% and 28% respectively. In contrast to other tissues, where IdoA residues are organized in long IdoA rich repeats, the IdoA residues of DS in human nasal cartilage seemed to be randomly distributed along the chain. DS chain s in HSNC were of larger average molecular size than those from HNNC. These results clearly indicate the GAG content and pattern in both HNNC and HSNC and demonstrate that scoliosis of nasal septum cartilage is related to qua ntitative and structural modifications at the GAG level. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.