Partial purification and characterization of pemphigus-like antigens in urine

The inhibition of indirect immunofluorescence was used to detect the presence of pemphigus-like antigens in urinary proteins. Antigenic material was present in 12 of 40 urine samples obtained from 16 patients with bullous pemphigoid, cicatricial pemphigoid, or pemphigus vulgaris. Antigen could not be detected in the urine of patients with carcinoma of the bladder. Partial purification was accomplished by ion-exchange chromatography and column gel filtration. Antigenic activity was detectable in all fractions eluted from Sephadex G-200 in the broad range of molecular weight of 90,000-180,000 daltons. Pemphigus-like antigens were glycoproteins with an apparent molecular weight of 75,000 daltons by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The antigens were immunogenic in mice, but were not detectable by double diffusion in agarose gels.