Isolation and partial characterization of a rheologically active glycoprotein fraction from pooled human sputum

A rheologically active mucin fraction was isolated from pooled sputum and was shown to be free of any major protein contaminants. The procedure used allows the isolation to be carried out by a batch process so that sufficient material is available for extensive biochemical and biophysical studies. Because the separation was carried out using sputum, the purified material should prove suitable for the evaluation of drugs used in chronic obstructive airway disease. This paper describes the separation process in detail and the partial biochemical characterization of the mucin fraction.