GlycA reflects the combined concentration of numerous glycosylated proteins that rise during inflammatory events (including but not limited to: orosomucoid, haptoglobin, α1-antitrypsin, α1-antichymotrypsin and transferrin).¹ Because it reflects a combination of many acute phase reactants (proteins that rise during inflammation), GlycA is thought to provide an even more stable estimation of systemic inflammation compared to other markers of inflammation, like C-Reactive Protein.

GlycA has been used to identify cardiovascular disease risk and cardiac event recurrence², as well as for monitoring inflammation activity in inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.³ It has also shown utility in evaluation of respiratory diseases, pancreatitis, diabetes risk*, and more.^4,5,6

NOTE

GlycA can be used as a standalone test, or alongside other inflammation markers like C-Reactive Protein or Galectin-3 for a more comprehensive assessment of inflammatory response. Life Extension offers GlycA in combination with other key inflammatory markers in our Inflammation Panel, available here: LC900010

*This test does not reflect glycosylated/glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and does not provide information on glucose management. The HbA1c test is available here: LC001453

The following figure helps visualize how a GlycA measurement reflects the composite of various acute phase reactants:

Ballout RA, Remaley AT. GlycA: A New Biomarker for Systemic Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Assessment. J Lab Precis Med. 2020 Apr;5:17. doi: 10.21037/jlpm.2020.03.03. Epub 2020 Apr 20. PMID: 32363327; PMCID: PMC7194207.

Figure 1: A simplified illustration showing how the GlycA ‘peak’ on 1H-NMR relates to systemic inflammation.

In the setting of inflammation, irrespective of the trigger, macrophages are recruited to the site of inflammation where they secrete a variety of cytokines, namely IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha. These cytokines act locally to induce an inflammatory response aimed at removing the insulting trigger and promoting subsequent tissue recovery. However, some of these cytokines also enter the systemic circulation and reach the liver, where they induce an increased production and secretion of several so-called acute phase reactants, as well as various glycosylation-mediating enzymes, known as glycosyltransferases, which alter the glycosylation patterns of the latter acute phase reactants. The acute phase reactants themselves, and their glycosyltransferase-modified derivatives (denoted by * in the figure) contribute to the GlycA peak seen on the 1H-NMR analyzer (AAT: alpha-1-antitrypsin; AGP: alpha-1-acid glycoprotein; CRP: C-reactive peptide)

References

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36254612/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34327480/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38636622/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33307129/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38704398/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37892212/