High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Analysis of Chondroitin Sulfate Isomers in Human Periodontium

We investigated the chondroitin sulfate in human periodontal samples (gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum and alveolar bone) collected for orthodontic reasons. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were extracted from the periodontium by enzyme digestion, and unsaturated disaccharide isomers of chondroitin sulfate were obtained by chondroitinase AC II and hyaluronidase digestion. The isomers were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Chondroitin sulfate was found in all four types of periodontal tissue; its unsaturated disaccharide isomers consisted in ΔDi-0S, ΔDi-6S, ΔDi-4S, ΔDi-diSE and ΔDi-triS. These four types of periodontal tissue showed different molar ratios of the unsaturated disaccharides. The ratio of ΔDi-4S to ΔDi-6S was greater in the calcified than in the uncalcified tissue.