Protein associated with acute pancreatitis agents for the screening of acute pancreatitis

A polyclonal antibody, characterized in that said antibody specifically binds a human pancreatitis associated protein (PAP) encoded by a cDNA fragment obtained by:

• (a) screening a human pancreatic cDNA library, said human cDNA being inserted into a suitable cloning vector, comprising the hybridization with probes comprising cDNA of rat PAP protein in a solution comprising 6.times.SSC, 5.times.Denhardt, 0.5% SDS, 10 mM EDTA, 200 .mu.g of salmon sperm DNA for 18 hours at 68.degree. C., followed by rinsing under the following conditions:
• 6.times.SSC, 0.1% SDS, twice for 15 minutes at 65.degree. C.;
• (b) selecting positive clones of human cDNA which hybridized during said screening with the cDNA of said rat PAP protein, these clones being called positive;
• (c) screening with a cDNA sequence of a pancreatic stone protein (PSP) protein under the above conditions of hybridization, followed by rinsing with 0.1.times.SSC, 0.1% SDS for 2 hours at 65.degree. C. in order to remove the unspecific clones of human PAP cDNA which had hybridized with the cDNA of rat PAP;
• (d) recovering clones which had not hybridized with the PSP cDNA;
• and
• (e) recovering cDNA fragments from the positive clones obtained in step (d).