Proteins of human vaginal fluid.

Proteins of vaginal fluid from normal and hysterectomized women were identified and compared with those of cervical mucus. Albumin, alpha1-antitrypsin, alpha2-haptoglobin, alpha2-macroglobulin, beta-lipoprotein, orosomucoid, ceruloplasmin, gamma chains, gamma G. K. (Bence Jones), and immunoglobulins G, A, and M were present in both vaginal fluid and cervical mucus. Fibrin and C-reactive protein were not found in the vaginal fluid but were identified in cervical mucus. alpha2-Haptoglobin, alpha2-macroglobulin, beta-lipoprotein, orosomucoid, and immunoglobulin M were absent in the vaginal fluid of hysterectomized women, indicating that their presence in the vaginal secretion of normal women may be due to contamination from cervical mucus.