Glycosaminoglycan Distribution Pattern in Dupuytren’s Contracture Biopsies

Abstract

Glycosaminoglycans consist of polysaccharide chains attached to a core protein. Together with the core protein they make up the proteoglycans. To a large extent the structure of the glycosaminoglycans was established by the work of Meyer (1970). Glycosaminoglycans are linear polymers of repeated disaccharides. The number of repeated disaccharides varies, but typical values are in the order of 50. The constituent monosaccharide residues usually show the chair C-1 conformation. The reason this conformation is favored by the D-monosaccharides lies within the position of the substituents. In the C-1 conformation, most will occupy equatorial positions and maintain the largest possible distance from one another. The length of the disaccharide unit, as measured by X-ray crystallography, varies from 0.93 to 0.97 nm for the different glycosaminoglycans (Heinegard and Paulson 1984).