Effect of pH on the recovery of human alpha-fetoprotein from immunosorbent columns. An improved elution procedure

A slow decrease in pH was shown to be more efficient in eluting human alpha-fetoprotein bound to Sepharose-immobilized antibodies than a pH shock. With this method, nearly 50% of the antigen absorbed onto the column was recovered in a single peak whereas the yield was 3 times lower in the case of a single elution at pH 2.6. Our result suggests that dissociation of the antigen-antibody complex occurred only within a narrow pH range.