[Immunochemical determination of human lactoferrin].

The immunochemically pure preparation of lactoferrin was isolated from human colostrum and used for the immunization of animals with a view of obtaining antiserum, and also as a reference preparation for the determination of the content of lactoferrin in the standard. The monospecific antiserum to lactoferrin, obtained as the result of this procedure, was used for the determination of the content of lactoferrin in samples of human milk by the method of radial immunodiffusion. Through the content of lactoferrin in human milk showed considerable fluctuations, its level essentially decreased on the second week of lactation. In cases of the microbial contamination of milk the tendency towards an increase in the content of lactoferrin was observed irrespective of the time of lactation.