Purification of a human pancreas-specific antigen

Using an antibody reagent, an organ-specific antigen has been purified from human pancreas. Purification was achieved using ammonium sulfate and ethanol precipitations, concanavalin A-Sepharose affinity chromatography, anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The antigen had a molecular weight of approximately 68,000 as determined by gel filtration, was not dissociated into subunits by sodium dodecyl sulfate, and did not bind to immobilized concanavalin A. The biological significance of this antigen in pancreatic cancer is being studied.