Glycosaminoglycans assay kit

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are negatively charged polysaccharides located in most connective tissues and extracellular matrices (ECM), as well as on the surfaces of many cell types. Consisting of repeating core disaccharide units, GAGs are categorized into four types: heparin/ heparan sulfate, chondroitin/dermatan sulfate, keratin sulfate and non-sulfated hyaluronan. Sulfated GAGs in the ECM exist as proteoglycan which typically consists of multiple glycosaminoglycan chains attached to a core protein. As a highly organized ECM, articular cartilage is composed of type II collagen, hyaluronan, link protein, and chondroitin sulfate-rich proteoglycans, which provide the osmotic resistance necessary for cartilage to resist compressive loads. In addition to type II collagen, GAGs are considered to be an autoantigen of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), since anti-GAGs antibodies associated with ECM degradation exist in the sera from RA patients. In fact, immunization with proteoglycans consisted of GAGs can induce arthritis in mice; however, the pathogenesis of proteoglycan in RA is still under investigation. Similarly, the loss of ECM is the first observable change in osteoarthritis (OA); therefore, determining GAGs levels may be a useful marker of disease progression. Furthermore, the successful use of artificial cartilage for the treatment of OA necessitates the analysis of type II collagen and GAGs content to ensure the cartilage quality (5).

Extracellular Matrix Proteins

ELISA kit designed to detect and measure glycosaminoglycans(GAGs), negatively charged polysaccharides located in most connective tissue and extracellular matrices, in tissue extract and cultured cell samples. GAGs are considered an autoantigen of rheumatoid arthritis.