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Rabbit antiserum was prepared against crystalline hen egg white and human milk lysozymes. The immunological cross-reactions among egg white lysozyme and human lysozymes (skin, milk, leucocyte and crude tears) were studied by the qualitative gel diffusion precipitation technique and quantitative neutralization test using anti-E.W.L. Serum and anti-H.M.L. Serum. Immunological identity of the human skin lysozyme with both the human milk and leucocyte lysozymes and nonidentity of it with E.W.L. were demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysozyme was isolated from human skin by extraction with 0.1 M acetate buffer, pH 4.5 containing 0.1 M KCl. Crude enzyme was purified by the method of three successive chromatographic processes on Amberlite IRC-50, carboxymethylcellulose and Amberlite IRC-50. The purified human skin lysozyme was determined to be homogenous by poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Molecular weight of the enzyme is estimated to be approximately 15,000 either by dialysis with calibrated membranes or by gel filtration through Sephadex G-50 column. The amino acid composition and several biophysical properties of human skin lysozyme were found to be very similar to those of human milk and leucocyte lysozymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]