Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd.

Juichi Awaya

Masayasu Kurono

Kiichi Sawai

Akio Kojima

Yoshiro Ishiwata

Hideaki Ninomiya

Masahiro Nakajima

Naohiro Kanayama

Hideako Ninomiya

Toshihiko Terao

Masami Kamiya

Yoshika Yasuda

Akihiro Morioka

Kazuo Watanabe

Hiroshi Uesaka

Tadashi Yamaguchi

There are described a novel protein derived from Clostridium perfringens FERM BP-4584 method of obtaining the same and use thereof as an effective ingredient for treating wounds and ulcers. The protein has a molecular weight of 420,000.+-.40,000 by a GPC, isoelectric point of 4.8, and consists of a single subunit having a molecular weight of 130,000.+-.20,000 by a SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and shows cell growth-stimulating activity as well as macrophage chemotactic action. The protein can be extracted and separated by conventional techniques for obtaining a protein from general microorganisms, by taking an inhibition of decomposition into consideration, since the protein is not so stable.

Protein having cell growth-stimulating and macrophage chemotactic

A composition comprising an organogermanium compound represented by the formula ##STR1## wherein n is an integer of 1 or more, R is hydrogen, alkyl, --COOH, --COOR', phenyl, ##STR2## and R' is a lower alkyl and a high molecular carrier, as well as an immunity adjusting agent comprising the composition. The treatment of hepatitis with compositions containing this germanium derivative.

Composition containing organogermanium compound and immunity adjusting

A composition comprising an organogermanium compound represented by the formula ##STR1## wherein n is an integer of 1 or more, R is hydrogen, alkyl, --COOH, --COOR', phenyl, ##STR2## and R' is a lower alkyl and a high molecular carrier, as well as an immunity adjusting agent comprising the composition.

Even when the specimen contains human granulocyte elastase in the form of a mixture of free elastase with an elastase-inhibitor complex or complexes, the present invention enables the total quantity of elastase in that specimen to be precisely detected. The inhibitor is added to free elastase to convert it into an elastase-inhibitor complex, whereby the quantity of elastase can be measured by immunoassay as the total amount including the previously existing elastase-inhibitor complex. It is possible to precisely measure the total amount of elastase in mucus collected from the cervical canal of a pregnant woman, sputum or a rinsed solution of bronchovesicular lavage in which free elastase is mixed with an elastase-inhibitor complex. It is thus possible to predict and prevent threatened premature delivery, premature delivery or premature rupture of membranes by immunoassay of mucus collected from the cervical canal of a pregnant woman, to make a diagnosis of chronic or repetitive airway infections and pulmonary emphysema based on chronic respiratory diseases by immunoassay of sputum and a rinsed solution of bronchovesicular lavage and to make a diagnosis of urinary tract infections by immunoassay of urine.

Method of predicting threatened premature delivery in a pregnant woman

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Juichi Awaya