GlycA, a novel composite pro-inflammatory glycoprotein biomarker, and its relationship with cardiometabolic disorders

Chronic low-grade inflammation is a hallmark of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Acute-phase reactants are commonly measured to assess the severity of inflammation. Many acute phase reactants are heavily glycosylated. A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy method, called GlycA, has been recently developed. The measured amplitude reflects the plasma protein glycosylation, the signal comes mainly from the following acute-phase proteins: α1-acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin, α1-antitrypsin and α1-antichymotrypsin. In this thesis, we examined the role of GlycA in the context of the metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and life expectancy. Overall, the results of this thesis support the contention that this glycoprotein biomarker reflects a pro-inflammatory state, in part alike, but also complementary to an existing marker of inflammation. Noteworthy, GlycA and lipoproteins can be quantified from the same NMR spectra of serum or plasma. Therefore, it is possible to combine GlycA along with standard clinical assessments and other NMR-measured metabolic and lipoprotein biomarkers to increase the specificity of the prediction for progression to cardiovascular diseases or type 2 diabetes. This can be of relevance to guide the selection and intensity of interventions intended to prevent progression to CVD or T2DM.