Biomolecules (Mar 2023)

The <i>N</i>-Glycosylation of Total Plasma Proteins and IgG in Atrial Fibrillation

  • Branimir Plavša,
  • Janko Szavits-Nossan,
  • Aleksandar Blivajs,
  • Borna Rapčan,
  • Barbara Radovani,
  • Igor Šesto,
  • Krešimir Štambuk,
  • Vito Mustapić,
  • Lovorka Đerek,
  • Diana Rudan,
  • Gordan Lauc,
  • Ivan Gudelj

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13040605
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 4
p. 605

Abstract

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Atrial fibrillation is a disease with a complex pathophysiology, whose occurrence and persistence are caused not only by aberrant electrical signaling in the heart, but by the development of a susceptible heart substrate. These changes, such as the accumulation of adipose tissue and interstitial fibrosis, are characterized by the presence of inflammation. N-glycans have shown great promise as biomarkers in different diseases, specifically those involving inflammatory changes. To assess the changes in the N-glycosylation of the plasma proteins and IgG in atrial fibrillation, we analyzed the N-glycosylation of 172 patients with atrial fibrillation, before and six months after a pulmonary vein isolation procedure, with 54 cardiovascularly healthy controls. An analysis was performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. We found one oligomannose N-glycan structure from the plasma N-glycome and six IgG N-glycans, mainly revolving around the presence of bisecting N-acetylglucosamine, that were significantly different between the case and control groups. In addition, four plasma N-glycans, mostly oligomannose structures and a derived trait that was related to them, were found to be different in the patients who experienced an atrial fibrillation recurrence during the six-month follow-up. IgG N-glycosylation was extensively associated with the CHA2DS2-VASc score, confirming its previously reported associations with the conditions that make up the score. This is the first study looking at the N-glycosylation patterns in atrial fibrillation and warrants further investigation into the prospect of glycans as biomarkers for atrial fibrillation.

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