Function and clinical significance of glycoconjugates in oral tissues

Abstract

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are covalently attached to core protein, forming glycoconjugates called proteoglycans which play an important role in the expression of cellular function. We studied the structure of GAGs in healthy and diseased oral tissues by HPLC. The GAG content in both inflamed human gingiva and human gingival crevicular fluid with Periodontal disease was greater than that in healthy controls. The molecular weight of synovial fluid hyaluronic acid in the human temporomandibular joint tended to decrease with osteoarthritis, along with increases in N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase activity. The GAG content in the rat articular disk tended to decrease with age. These results indicate that qualitative and quantitative changes in oral tissue GAG are associated with the health of the tissue, and suggest that GAG analyses may be useful in diagnosing oral diseases.