Physical and Chemical Properties of Human Embryonic Prealbumin and its Association with Malignancies

Abstract

Human embryonic prealbumin (EPA) was purified from pooled fetal sera by a combination of the salt precipitation methods, ion‐exchange chromatography and electro‐isofocusing. Purified EPA preparations had about 80% peptide and 20% carbohydrate including mannose, fucose, glucose, galactose, glucosamine and galactosamine. Amino acid composition of EPA may be characterized by high concentration of aspragin. glutamine acids and proline but very low concentration of methionine. By immunodiffusion in agar, EPA was found in all fetal sera and in some malignant tissue homogenates including carcinomas of ovary, breast, stomach, lung, kidney, and intestinal tract.