A specific one step method for the isolation of pancreatic elastase; its use to characterize aortic elastase.

Elastase was purified from an acetone-ether powder of porcine pancreas by a one step affinity chromatography procedure on IgG-Sepharose 4B. The IgG was derived from a rabbit immunized with porcine pancreatic elastase and was itself isolated by affinity chromatography on elastase immobilized on the same matrix. The column was calibrated with a known elastase preparation under standardized conditions. Direct isolation of elastase from pancreatic extracts yielded approximately 90 mg from two pancreas. The enzymatic activity and electrophoretic migration in SDS-polyacrylamide gel of the purified elastase were equal to those of the purest commercially available enzymes. Application of this method to aorta of young pigs suggests the presence of active elastase in the aorta.