ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the Concanavalin A (ConA) pattern of newborn alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), and compares its glycosylation with that of maternal and umbilical cord AGP. Crossed-affinity immunoelectrophoresis (CAIE) with ConA has been largely applied to human AGP. The stable ConA pattern of AGP in healthy subjects can vary in pathophysiological stiuations, such as acute inflammation and alcoholic cirrhosis. AGP concentrations were measured using radial immunodiffusion. In the subgroup in which the suspicion of infection was not confirmed, the concentrations and ConA patterns of the maternal and umbilical cord serum AGPs were comparable to those of the uncomplicated deliveries. In the subgroup in which only the newborn was infected, the concentrations and ConA patterns of the maternal AGP were similar to those in the uninfected subgroup, although the cord blood showed an elevated AGP concentration associated with an acute inflammation-type pattern.
