The biochemical and molecular characterisation of respiratory mucins in TB

• Main Author: Govender, Ureshnie
• Other Authors: Mall, Anwar
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2014
• Subjects: Medical Biochemistry
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3130

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-112). === The role of the dominant respiratory mucins (MUC5AC and MUC5B) and MUC2 has been investigated in chronic airway diseases as it is the mucin glycoprotein that confers upon mucus its biological, rheological and physicochemical properties. Within South Africa, specifically the Western Cape, TB has wreaked havoc especially amongst those of the lower socioeconomic groups. However, despite the prevalence of the disease in South Africa and the known morbidity and mortality associated with mucus and mucin hypersecretion in respiratory diseases, little is known of the association between respiratory mucins and TB. This is a novel study that investigated the association between respiratory mucins and TB at a biochemical and molecular level.