Purification of early pregnancy factor from human pregnancy serum / 中国免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

An immunosuppressive early pregnancy factor (EPF) present in the serum of pregnent women, between 3 and 6 weeks of gestation, was isolated and purified using ion-exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography and gel filtration techniq(?) The serum samples and chromatographic fractions were measured for EPF activity using rossette inhibition test and hCG content by radioimmunoassay. The result showed that the column eluates (?) gel filtration exhibited no hCG (3. 1 ng/ ml). The fraction containing the bulk of EPF on SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of polypeptide bands of molecular weight at 24 kDa and 41 kDa respectively.