Immunological and electrophoretical approaches to macroamylase analysis.

The characteristics of abnormally large-size amylase (macroamylase) of the three patients were studied. Amylase isoenzyme patterns of the three macroamylase samples of agar gel electrophoresis were different from the normal one: a post-beta-globulin or middle-ganna-globulin zone was found in macroamylase, while a fast-gamma, and a pre-gamma-globulin or both zones is found in normal amylase. With gel chromatography at pH 3.4, macroamylase dissociated to normalsized amylase. The electrophoretic patterns of the normal-sized amylase were identical with those of normal amylase. The binding proteins of the macroamylase were identified as immunoglobulin IgG in onecase and immunoglobulin IgA in the other two cases by the immunochemical criteria and immunoenzyme electropherogram. These immunoglobulins bound with serum amylase having normal molecular weight and electophoretic mobility to form macroamylase.