Microheterogeneity of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein: variation during the menstrual cycle in healthy women, and profile in women receiving estrogen-progestogen treatment.

The concentration of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) was measured in sera from 23 women, 14 pregnant women, 10 women receiving estrogen-progestogen treatment and 12 men. All sera were further subjected to crossed affino-immunoelectrophoresis with addition of conA in the first dimension and alpha-methylglucopyranoside in the second dimension. The distribution of AGP into three microheterogeneity forms, which were the result of this analysis, was estimated by measuring the area under the precipitation curve. The microheterogeneity patterns of AGP in the five groups were analysed from each other. An augmentation of the non reactive form is seen in women in the first part of the cycle and in women receiving estrogen-progestogen treatment compared with the three others groups. The pattern obtained in this latter group is similar to that observed in pregnant women (34 weeks) by several authors.