title: Isolation of ferritin from human hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Ferritin was extracted from human hepatocellular carcinoma tissue and purified using column chromatography, gradient gel electrophoresis and cadmium sulphate crystallization. DEAE cellulose chromatography showed a difference between hepatoma and normal liver ferritin, indicative of a more acidic isoferritin profile in the tumour. Column-purified and crystalline ferritin and that remaining in the mother-liquor after crystallization was subjected to isoelectric focusing. Hepatoma ferritin showed higher concentrations of acidic isoferritins than liver ferritin. This was most obvious with mother-liquor ferritin, as crystallization tended to select out more basic isoferritins. Subunit analysis of hepatoma and liver ferritin showed a higher proportion of heavy subunits in the tumour ferritin, in keeping with the presence of acidic isoferritins. An antibody against hepatoma mother-liquor ferritin was raised in rabbits. However, hepatoma ferritin proved to be antigenically identical with normal liver ferritin, and we were thus unable to develop a specific radioimmunoassay for hepatoma ferritin.
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000032:analysis*; D005293:Ferritins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron