Effects of Age and Sex on the Electrophoretic Fractions of the Serum Glycoprotein.

Specimensof serum were collected from 198 clinically healthy persons,chosento provide approximately 10 males and 10 females in each decade up to the tenth. After electrophoretic separationusing the Spincomethod B, the strips were stained by the periodicacid-Schiff reactionaccordingto K#{246}iw and Gr#{246}nwall (Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. 4, 244, 1952) and scannedon the Analytrol integrating densitometer at 550 mp. Total glycoproteinwas estimated on an ethanol precipitate by the tryptophan-borosulfuric acid reaction (Badin, Jackson, and Schubert, Proc. Soc. Exptl. B:oI. Med. 84, 288, 1953). The analytical error and normal values for the method were estimated; those for males did not differ from those for females. The meansand standard deviationsfor groupsshowingstatistically significant differences (P < 0.05) were, in mg./100 ml. of serum: total, under70 years, 148 ± 19; total, over 70 years, 164 ± 20; albumin, 23.1 ± 6.6; alpha1, 12.5 ± 4.3; alpha2, under 60 years, 47.4 ± 12.1; alpha2, over 60 years,59.1 ± 16.0; beta, under 10 years,27.2 ± 6.6; beta, 10 to 90 years, 38.4 ± 8.2; beta, over90 years,54.0 ± 17.7; gamma,26.4 ± 7.1. The resultswere compared with thoseobtained by other publishedprocedures.