Dermatan sulfate is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan composed of alternating units of sulfated N-acetyl-α-D-galactosamine and α-L-idopyranuronate (and some β-D-glucuronate) residues.
The role of different glycosaminoglycan species from the vessel walls as physiological antithrombotic agents remains controversial. To further investigate this aspect we extracted glycosaminoglycans from human thoracic aorta and saphenous vein.