10.1371/journal.pone.0146982 Liang Bai Liang Bai Qianwei Li Qianwei Li Lingmei Li Lingmei Li Yan Lin Yan Lin Sihai Zhao Sihai Zhao Weirong Wang Weirong Wang Rong Wang Rong Wang Yongqin Li Yongqin Li Jiangbei Yuan Jiangbei Yuan Chengjian Wang Chengjian Wang Zhongfu Wang Zhongfu Wang Jianglin Fan Jianglin Fan Enqi Liu Enqi Liu Plasma High-Mannose and Complex/Hybrid N-Glycans Are Associated with Hypercholesterolemia in Humans and Rabbits Public Library of Science 2016 electrospray ionization mass spectrometry plasma glycan profile plasma levels hypercholesterolemic patients plasma cholesterol levels 2016-03-21 05:36:56 Dataset https://plos.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Plasma_High_Mannose_and_Complex_Hybrid_N_Glycans_Are_Associated_with_Hypercholesterolemia_in_Humans_and_Rabbits/3129424 <div><p>N-glycans play important roles in various pathophysiological processes and can be used as clinical diagnosis markers. However, plasma N-glycans change and their pathophysiological significance in the setting of hypercholesterolemia, a major risk factor for atherosclerosis, is unknown. Here, we collected plasma from both hypercholesterolemic patients and cholesterol-fed hypercholesterolemic rabbits, and determined the changes in the whole-plasma N-glycan profile by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. We found that both the hypercholesterolemic patients and rabbits showed a dramatic change in their plasma glycan profile. Compared with healthy subjects, the hypercholesterolemic patients exhibited higher plasma levels of a cluster of high-mannose and complex/hybrid N-glycans (mainly including undecorated or sialylated glycans), whereas only a few fucosylated or fucosylated and sialylated N-glycans were increased. Additionally, cholesterol-fed hypercholesterolemic rabbits also displayed increased plasma levels of high-mannose in addition to high complex/hybrid N-glycan levels. The whole-plasma glycan profiles revealed that the plasma N-glycan levels were correlated with the plasma cholesterol levels, implying that N-glycans may be a target for treatment of hypercholesterolemia.</p></div>