Extraction and Fractionation of Human Gastric Mucins from Gastric Juice

Mucin, a major component of the mucus, is considered to be one of the principal factors in the physiological defense mechanism of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Measuring the mucin content of human gastric mucus is a useful tool for the assessment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication or the involvement of mucus secretion in various gastroduodenal diseases. Here, we describe a methodology for the isolation of the mucin fraction from human gastric juice and the quantification of mucin.