Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) Mucopolysaccharides, Quantitative Test Cost & Procedure

It is utilised to Detect glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in individuals who have already received a mucopolysaccharidosis diagnosis (MPS)

GAGs are what?

• For glycosaminoglycans, it is an acronym.
• Long sugar carbohydrate chains found in each of our cells, known as glycosaminoglycans, aid in developing connective tissue such as bone, cartilage, tendons, corneas, and skin.
• Mucopolysaccharidoses are a class of metabolic disorders brought on by the absence or dysfunction of lysosomal enzymes, which are needed to break down these long chains of sugar carbohydrates.
• These glycosaminoglycans accumulate over time in the blood, connective tissues, and cells.
• Cellular damage is permanent and progressively impacts the growth of the mind, physical prowess, organ and system function, and appearance.

Why is this test recommended?

The foundation for screening tests for mucopolysaccharidosis is urine analysis for increased urinary excretion of glycosaminoglycans.

DNA analysis and enzyme tests (which check a range of cells or bodily fluids in culture for an enzyme deficit) are also employed.

Procedure:

• Urinary glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in normal and pathological urine are measured using a straightforward procedure that passes a fixed portion of the 24-hour urine over a small plug of cellulose modified with ECTEOLA.
• The GAG is then eluted with a few millilitres of sodium chloride solution (3 mol/litre), and the GAG is then measured as hexuronic acid.
• GAG is immediately identified since results are compared for equivalent aliquots of whole 24-hour urines, offering a way to diagnose mucopolysaccharidosis chemically.
• The process takes less than an hour, and it is convenient to do multiple tests simultaneously.
• When urine samples from healthy or mucopolysaccharidosis-affected children were examined, the outcomes of the suggested process were shown to be in good agreement with those of more involved, generally accepted methods.