The determination of asialoglycoforms of serum glycoproteins by lectin blotting with Ricinus communis agglutinin.

Serum proteins were fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes. The blotted polypeptides were probed with biotinylated Ricinus communis lectin (RCA120) followed by streptavidin/alkaline phosphatase. This procedure detected five asialoglycoproteins (alpha 2-macroglobulin, transferrin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin and haptoglobin beta chain). The asialoform of the alpha 1-trypsin inhibitor was found to be decreased in inflammation.