The proteins in nasal secretion: a longitudinal study of the gammaA-globulin, gammaG-globulin, albumin, siderophilin, and total protein concentrations in nasal washings from adult male volunteers.

Abstract

Eleven nasal wash specimens were collected from each of 15 volunteers during a 27-day period. The mucus volume and total protein concentration of these specimens were determined and each specimen was studied by immunoelectrophoresis to characterize qualitatively its content of plasma proteins. Quantitative estimations of gammaA-globulin, gamma G-globulln, albumin, and siderophilin concentrations were made on several specimens from each of the volunteers. The total protein concentration and mucus volume of serial nasal wash specimens from a single volunteer were relatively constant over the test period, whereas there was considerable variation in protein concentration among samples from different volunteers. Differences in protein levels among volunteers were not correlated with acute or chronic respiratory illness or marked differences in nasal bacterial flora. Between 21 and 53% of the total nasal wash protein was accounted for by gammaA-globulin. GammaG-globulin contributed 5 to 14%, albumin 2 to 9%, and siderophilin 0 to 2.5% of the total protein. In any one volunteer, the four measured components accounted for between 31 and 73% of the total protein. The concentrations of gammaG-globulin and siderophilin observed in these specimens suggest that, in relation to concentrations of albumin present, gammaG-globulin and siderophilin accumulate selectively in nasal secretions.