Results
More than 150 complex N- glycans, including highly fucosylated
biantennary, triantennary, tetraantennary and bisecting species, were
observed in our spectra. Three distinct patterns for CTRL, VKC and AKC
patients were identified in terms of relative intensities for someN- glycans structures. Major variations involved bisecting and
hyperfucosylated glycoforms.
The most intense ions were associated to species at m/z 1907.0
(asialo, agalacto, bisected, biantennary structure – NGA2B) in CTRL MS
profiles, at m/z 2605.3 and 2966.5 in VKC, and at m/z2792.4 in AKC corresponding to a well-known biantennary, disialylatedN- glycan. Several peaks were associated to structures bearing one
or two Lewis X epitopes. Structures were confirmed by MS/MS analysis.
Quantitative differences among the three groups were statistically
significant.