Bullous pemphigoid antigen. II. Isolation from the urine of a patient

This report concerns the isolation of bullous pemphigoid antigen from the nondialyzable urinary components of a patient with the disease. The isolation was accomplished by ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Pemphigoid antigen was found to be a basic glycoprotein that on SDS gel electrophoresis showed two major bands, one in the 18,000 m. w. region and the second with a m. w. of 74,000. Between these two bands, two additional bands appeared; one of 35,000 daltons and the other of 68,000 daltons. The 18,000 m. w. band was eluted from the gel and rerun on SDS gels. These gels showed the 18,000 m.w. band and also the appearance of the 35,000 and 74,000 m.w. bands. This finding indicates that urinary pemphigoid antigen may exist both as a single monomeric form and in polymeric aggregates.