A Substance Occasionally Found as a Major Ninhydrin-Reacting Component of Urine. ∗ †

Summary

An unidentified ninhydrin-reacting substance has been observed frequently on 2-dimensional paper chromatograms, prepared with urine from a wide variety of subjects, both normal and pathological. High concentrations are frequently found in the urine of patients with malignancy, and from results on some of the patients followed over an extended period of time, its concentration appears to be affected by certain therapeutic regimes. In leukemia, it may be reduced sharply in concentration, or disappear with a remission. A crude preparation has been obtained from urine by paper chromatography, and some of its properties investigated.