Fucosylated glycoproteins as markers of liver disease

Changes in N-linked glycosylation are known to occur during the development of various diseases. For example, increased branching of oligosaccharides has been associated with cancer metastasis and has been correlated to tumor progression in human cancers of the breast, colon and melanomas. Increases in core fucosylation have also been associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, changes in both the total serum glycome and the glycosylation of specific IgG molecules have been observed in people with liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. The mechanisms by which changes in glycosylation are observed and their use as biomarkers of disease will be discussed.