In the present study, the total protein concentration was measured in ascitic fluids of patients with hepatoma and liver cirrhosis. In order to investigate whether protein patterns of ascitic fluids were different in the two liver diseases, proteins in the ascitic fluids were isolated and fractionated by both electrophoretic and column chromatographic methods.
1) Concentrations of proteins, RNA and DNA in ascitic fluid were significantly higher in hepatoma than in liver cirrhosis.
2) Proteins in ascitic fluids of patients with hepatoma were clearly separated into five bands on a cellulose acetate membrane by electrophoresis. In liver cirrhosis, pro-teins in ascitic fluids were, however, separated into two or three bands including a broad band (a broad band containing band 3, 4 and 5 or band 4 and 5). The results indicated that properties of proteins in ascitic fluids were different in the two-liver diseases.
3) DEAE-cellulose column chromatography of ascitic fluid revealed that proteins in the ascitic fluid were separable into 4 peaks (peak Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ) in hepatoma, but 3 peaks (peak I, III and IV) in liver cirrhosis, indicating that peak II protein observed in hepatoma was absent in liver cirrhosis. Electrophoretic analysis showed that protein patterns for the peak III and IV proteins in ascitic fluids of hepatoma were different from those in ascitic fluid of liver cirrhosis. These results suggested the possibility that proteins specific for cancer might be present in the ascitic fluid of hepatoma.
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