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<ns3:p>Transferrin (Tf) is a glycoprotein synthesized in the liver and its primary function is to transport iron throughoutthe body. In peripheral blood serum, Tf occurs as fractions called transferrin isoforms, which can be visualizedusing electrophoretic separations. Biochemical methods for detecting transferrin differentiation includeisoeclectricfocusing (IEF), capillary electrophoresis (CE), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC),and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Transferrin isoforms are a biochemical marker ofcongenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG). Congenital disorders of glycosylation are a growing groupof genetically determined disorders associated with abnormal metabolism in the biochemical pathways of N- andO-glycosylation of proteins and lipids. Glycosylation plays an extremely important role in the proper functioning ofthe body. This multi-stage, highly complex process leads to the synthesis of glycans (primarily N- and O-glycans)and the subsequent attachment of glycans to the protein molecule via N- or O-glycosidic bonds, respectively.Disturbances in glycosylation lead to serious clinical defects. The clinical phenotype of CDG is extremely diverseand includes symptoms affecting multiple organs and systems. Among congenital disorders of glycosylation,defects related to impaired N-glycosylation of proteins predominate. Changes in the isoform pattern also occurin so-called secondary disorders of glycosylation, such as fructosemia and galactosemia, in newborns in the firstweeks of life, in patients with liver dysfunction, and in alcohol abuse.</ns3:p>