An immunoelectrophoretic study of the soluble secretory proteins of sputum

Abstract

1. 1.|Microimmunoelectrophoresis of the sputum sol phase against antisol phase serum absorbed with human serum resolved the protein components into 13 arcs and quantitative (Laurell) immunoelectrophoresis resolved the sol phase into 14 arcs. In both instances, the arcs caused by lactoferrin, secretory IgA, amylase, lysozyme, a macroglycoprotein component and a Ca 2+-precipitable protein have been identified. 2. 2.|The quantitative immunoelectrophoretic method was used to investigate the distribution of sputum sol phase proteins eluted from a Sephadex G-200 column. The distribution of ultraviolet-absorbing material, carbohydrate and the enzymes amylase, lysozyme and hydroperoxidase were also monitored. Although fairly intense hydroperoxidase activity was detected no immunoelectrophoretic arc with this activity was found. 3. 3.|The quantitative immunoelectrophoretic method has been used to compare the composition of the saliva and sol phases of 10 patients and the results suggest that the secretions are fairly similar with respect to the soluble protein components. In no case, however, could the sputum sol phase proteins have been solely derived from salivary contamination.