Influence of formulation on jet nebulisation quality of alpha 1 protease inhibitor

As foam appears during solution constitution and nebulisation of alpha 1 protease inhibitor (alpha 1 PI), we selected in a previous work, antifoams likely to be associated with an alpha 1 PI solution to be nebulised: span 65 at a 0.025% concentration and cetyl alcohol at a 0.05% concentration associated with tyloxapol at 0.025% concentration. The purpose of this study was, on the one hand to study the influence of the formulation on nebulisation quality by relating physicochemical properties and nebulisation capacity, and on the other hand, to define the alpha 1 PI that will be retained for a clinical study. The properties of the different alpha 1 PI formulations are compared: surface tension, viscosity, time required to constitute the protein solution and pH. Nebulisation quality is evaluated under different operating conditions by measuring the droplet size, the quantity of alpha 1 PI nebulised, nebulisation time and the quantity of alpha 1 PI likely to reach the lungs which was subjected to statistical analysis. The statistical analysis of results indicates that the addition of the cetyl alcohol/tyloxapol mixture improves nebulisation effectiveness by significantly increasing the quantity of drug nebulised and therefore the quantity of alpha PI likely to reach the lungs. It is this formulation that will be retained for clinical trials. We check that the nebuliser and operating conditions influence all the parameters, that is to say the respirable fraction, the quantity nebulised and the nebulisation time. Although there is no interaction between the nebuliser and the formulation, nebulisation quality is the combined result of the formulation, the nebuliser and the operating conditions.

Application of bioaffinity technology in therapeutic extracorporeal plasmapheresis and large-scale fractionation of human plasma

This paper describes the increasingly unique and powerful role that affinity chromatography is occupying both as a tool for the treatment of extracorporeal plasma exchange (to discard biological compounds with noxious metabolic or immunologic effects in patients) and as a purification tool in the production of therapeutic plasma protein derivatives. Management of both applications requires careful monitoring of the parameters applied to the plasma material, to avoid immunological stimulation or activation of the coagulation cascade. Examples of direct current applications of affinity ligands in therapeutic removal and industrial production of plasma compounds are presented.

Fibrin sealant: scientific rationale, production methods, properties, and current clinical use

Fibrin sealant is a complex plasma-derived product which is increasingly used as a biodegradable tissue adhesive or sealant to stop or control bleeding or provide air and fluid tightness in many surgical situations. This review describes the historical development of current fibrin sealant preparations and the scientific rationale behind the alleged physiological benefits of its major plasma-derived components. A comparison in the extraction methods and viral reduction treatments applied to current commercial products and autologous preparations, and their respective advantages and limits, are discussed. Application devices used for surgical applications are described. A survey of the major clinical applications in various surgical areas is presented. Current issues in terms of viral safety, definition of optimal fibrin sealant composition, and regulatory concerns, especially to demonstrate clinical efficacy, are also included.

Delayed vasovasostomy: experimental study using fibrin glue

We compare delayed vasectomy reversals performed in rats using fibrin glue combined with 3 transmural sutures or a conventional microsurgical technique. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats underwent bilateral vasectomy followed 2 weeks later by bilateral vasovasostomy using fibrin glue or a conventional microsurgical suture technique. Our protocol evaluated fertility rates after a 3-week mating period, sperm granuloma formation, histological changes at the anastomotic site, longitudinal tensile strength and mean testicular weight. The fibrin glue technique required significantly reduced operative time (p < 0.0005) and showed statistically lower tensile strength performance (p < 0.0005). All other parameters showed no statistical difference between the two techniques. Fibrin-glued vasovasostomy is efficient in a delayed protocol and deserves further clinical experience.

Delayed vasal reanastomosis in rats: comparison of a microsurgical technique and a fibrin-glued procedure

OBJECTIVES

To compare fibrin-glued vasovasostomy to a conventional microsurgical technique in a protocol of delayed vasovasostomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent bilateral vasectomy through a midline abdominal incision. Two weeks later all animals underwent a bilateral vasectomy reversal through a bilateral inguino-scrotal incision, following two different protocols. Invariably, the proximal segment had a larger lumen. The control group (20 rats) had a conventional modified one-layer sutured vasal anastomosis with 10/0 nylon. The experimental group (20 rats) underwent vasal anastomosis using fibrin glue and consisting of three transmural sutures with 10/0 nylon followed by the application of fibrin glue circumferentially to seal the anastomosis. The fibrin-tissue adhesive was obtained from pooled donor plasma and was virally inactivated by a solvent-detergent treatment. Seven weeks after surgery all animals were killed and the vasal specimens were evaluated for gross patency and the incidence of sperm granuloma.

RESULTS

The control group had a patency rate of 85% and half had sperm granuloma. The experimental group had a patency rate of 92% and 40% had sperm granuloma; neither difference was significant. The mean operative time was significantly shorter for the fibrin glue-assisted vasovasostomy (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study showed that a delayed fibrin-glued vasovasostomy gave a comparable anatomical success and an incidence of sperm granuloma similar to that using a conventional microsurgical technique, but with the advantages of a shorter operative time and a less technically demanding anastomosis.

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for human plasma inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (ITI) using specific antibodies against each of the H1 and H2 heavy chains

Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (ITI) is a serine-proteinase inhibitor of human plasma enzymes. ITI is composed of three polypeptide chains covalently linked: bikunin, responsible for the antiprotease activity and two heavy chains H1 and H2. Human plasma also contains other components immunologically related to ITI such as pre-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (paI), inter-alpha-like inhibitor (IalphaLI) and free bikunin. The ELISA procedure we propose exclusively measures native ITI within the range 12.5-200 microgram/l. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were less than 5.6% and 8.7%, respectively. When ITI was added to plasma samples, full recovery was obtained. EDTA-plasma from 30 healthy individuals revealed a mean level of 241.5 mg/l (range 145.5-506). The high specificity, sensitivity, reproducibility and accuracy of the present assay should facilitate the specific measurement of native ITI in blood and thus might represent a useful tool for further physiopathological studies.

Albumin batches and B19 parvovirus DNA

BACKGROUND

B19 parvovirus (B19) may be transmitted iatrogenically by blood, and its prevalence in blood donations is estimated at 1 in 3,300 to 1 in 50,000. As a large number of blood donations make up the plasma pools used to produce plasma derivatives, even a virus as rare as B19 in a population of blood donors may result in the frequent contamination of plasma batches. The percentage of albumin batches containing B19 DNA has never been determined.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The presence of B19 DNA was investigated by a polymerase chain reaction assay (with a primer pair in the VP1 region) in a total of 12 and 17 batches of 4- and 20-percent albumin, respectively, from two different manufacturers.

RESULTS

No B19 DNA was detected in the batches tested.

CONCLUSION

The current fractionation process used to obtain these albumin preparations is seen to allow the efficient degradation and/or elimination of B19.

Chromatography in plasma fractionation: benefits and future trends

Industrial-scale chromatographic fractionation and purification methods have been used increasingly in the last few years for plasma fractionation. This has resulted in the development of a new generation of therapeutic plasma derivatives, especially coagulation factors, protease inhibitors and anticoagulants. Implementation and combination of ion-exchange, affinity and size-exclusion chromatography have allowed the development of new therapeutic products with improved purity and safety for treating congenital or acquired plasma protein deficiencies in patients. More recently, the benefit of chromatographic purification of plasma proteins in the removal of plasma-borne viruses has been revealed. Development of packing materials with improved characteristics for industrial applications, including higher capacity and rigidity, should further promote the use of chromatography as an essential plasma fractionation tool and confine more and more the traditional ethanol precipitation methods to the final processing stages used to recover albumin.

Preparation and properties of a therapeutic inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor concentrate from human plasma

Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (ITI) is a serine protease inhibitor found in human plasma. Its antiprotease activity is due to bikunin which is effective in various types of experimental shock and pancreatitis. Therefore ITI, which releases bikunin by proteolytic cleavage, could be of therapeutic interest. A method for the large-scale isolation of ITI from human plasma is described. ITI was purified from the prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) by diethylaminoethyl-Sepharose fast-flow chromatography followed by a chromatographic step on immobilized heparin designed to remove C4, factor X and protein C. With this procedure, which was performed under mild conditions, a homogeneous preparation of native ITI was obtained, as demonstrated by electrophoretic and chromatographic analyses. ITI maintained its biological activity, as exhibited by its specific antitryptic activity of 420 +/- 65 IU/g. In order to decrease or eliminate the risk of transmission of viral disease due to lipid-enveloped viruses, the process incorporated a solvent-detergent treatment. Animal studies on the final product revealed no adverse side-effects in terms of toxicity, thrombogenicity or hypotension. This preparation appears suitable for therapeutic evaluation in animal experimental models.

Nanofiltration, a new specific virus elimination method applied to high-purity factor IX and factor XI concentrates

We have validated the use of two new regenerated multilayered structured cellulose membranes (BMM), Planova 15 N and Planova 35 N, with respective mean pore sizes of 15 and 35 nm, as a new filtration system to eliminate viruses in highly purified factor IX and factor XI concentrates. Virus spiking experiments indicated that single dead-end filtration on the membranes could remove more than 5.7-7.8 log10 of human immunodeficiency virus, bovine viral diarrhoea virus, porcine pseudorabies virus, reovirus type 3, and simian virus 40, as well as the small non-enveloped viruses, poliovirus Sabin type 1 and bovine parvovirus. In vitro control tests and animal studies (Wessler stasis model, rat hypotension model) of the two concentrates did not reveal any significant differences with the non-nanofiltered material. Viral filtration of plasma derivatives on porous polymeric membranes might be an essential step in the improvement of their viral safety.

Large-scale preparation of highly purified human C1-inhibitor for therapeutic use

A two-step chromatographic procedure has been developed to purify human C1-inhibitor from cryoprecipitate-poor plasma after removal of vitamin K-dependent proteins and antithrombin III. The procedure, which is fully compatible with modern plasma fractionation schemes, includes anion-exchange chromatography on DMAE-Fractogel EMD, viral inactivation by solvent-detergent treatment, adsorption on SO3-Fractogel EMD and viral removal by nanofiltration on 35- and 15-nm pore size membranes. Overall yields were about 45% and 58% for antigen and activity, respectively, providing 60-70 mg of highly purified inhibitor per litre of plasma. The purified inhibitor had a specific activity of 6.5 +/- 0.5 units/mg protein, representing a more than 400-fold increase in purity compared with plasma. C1-inhibitor purity with respect to total protein was greater than 80%. The main contaminant was complement component C3 which accounted for 4-10% of the total protein. Minor contaminants included low amounts of IgM, IgG, IgA, fibrinogen and albumin. Complement component C4 was undetectable. The purified inhibitor was stable throughout the purification process and for more than 24 h at room temperature after reconstitution of the freeze-dried material. Animal tests in rats and mice demonstrated that the C1-inhibitor concentrate was well tolerated at relatively high doses.

Purification of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor from human plasma on immobilized lentil lectin

Human factor VIII/von Willebrand factor (FVIII/vWF) was shown to bind to immobilized lectins from Arachis, Ulex, Concanavalia, and Lens species. The protein/lectin interaction displayed higher affinities for the lectins from the last two species. However, the Lens culinaris lectin immobilized on Sepharose 4B (LCA-Sepharose) provided a more selective and flexible affinity system for the purification of FVIII/vWF than Concanavalia lectin. Chromatography on LCA-Sepharose of a purified FVIII containing a small proportion of vWF required a weak acidic medium (pH 6.3) and relatively slow kinetics (about 20 cm/h flow rate). The bound FVIII was specifically dissociated from LCA-Sepharose by methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside, and to a lesser extent by other monosaccharides such as D-glucose, methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, D-mannose, and D-galactose. Application to whole plasma resulted in a capacity for FVIII/vWF of about 28 U/ml gel. Specific activities for eluted FVIII and vWF were 3 and 2.2 IU/mg protein, respectively, with respective FVIII:c and vWF:RCo recoveries of 57 and 40% from starting plasma. Coagulation factors II, X, VII, IX, V, and XI and fibrinogen were eliminated in the LCA matrix breakthrough fraction, improving the stability of the purified FVIII molecule. Purity of the LCA eluate was further enhanced by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Fractogel TSK 650 M which reduced the amount of protein contaminants and provided a FVIII/vWF fraction with higher specific activity (45-80 IU/mg protein depending on the chromatographic conditions). The overall process yield was 45 and 25% for FVIII:c and vWF:RCo, respectively.

[Industrial pasteurization of plasma and criteria of quality]

The approach followed in the design of a large-scale pasteurization treatment (60 degrees C for 10 hours in the liquid state) of fresh frozen plasma is presented. Various aspects thought to influence the viral safety of such a product are discussed. They are based largely upon the fact that, although it is subjected to a specific viral inactivation treatment, this plasma does not benefit from any fractionation steps known to participate in the potential elimination of infectious agents during the manufacture of plasma derivatives. Consequently, the plasma is obtained from regular plasmapheresis donors, and the plasma donations used to make the pool must be negative for anti-HIV-1 and -2, anti-HCV, anti-HBc, anti-HTLV-1 and -2, HBs antigen and parvovirus B19 antigen, and have a normal level of ALT. The batch size is limited to 100 plasma units to limit the potential infectious risk associated with very large batches, especially if an infectious agent, resistant to pasteurization, is present. Pasteurization has been chosen for this procedure, as applied to plasma derivatives, has been shown to inactivate a broad spectrum of viruses, both enveloped and non-enveloped. The process is relatively simple. The frozen plasma units are opened, and the plasmas are mixed and thawed at 30 degrees C to avoid the formation of cryoprecipitate. The liquid plasma is transferred to a sterilized container and stabilizers are added. The mixture is then transferred to the pasteurization unit to be heat-treated at 60 degrees C for at least 10 hours under gentle mixing. Following cooling, the mixture is ultrafiltered to eliminate the stabilizers and to concentrate the plasma pool to its initial volume. The plasma is sterile-filtered, then dispensed into bottles and frozen. Virus validation of this pasteurization process, carried out by independent virology laboratories, have confirmed the ability of the process to inactivate more than 4 to 6 logs of non-enveloped or enveloped, DNA or RNA, viruses, including HIV-1 and Sindbis virus, in less than 5 hours of heat-treatment. The biological characteristics of the pasteurized plasma include a good preservation (75 to 95%) of the activity of clotting factors, including FI, FV, FVIII, FXI, and FXIII, and protease inhibitors. The overall clottability of the plasma, as expressed by the APTT, is almost unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A therapeutic, highly purified factor XI concentrate from human plasma

A highly purified factor XI (FXI) concentrate was prepared from human plasma by a process comprising a filter adsorption step and chromatography on a cation exchange resin. The freeze-dried FXI, which solubilized quickly, had high specific activity (130-150 U/mg protein), high potency (approx. 100 U/mL), and excellent stability for at least 24 hours at room temperature in the liquid state. The overall recovery was about 220 U of FXI per liter of plasma. Minor protein contaminants (C1-inhibitor, fibronectin, IgG, and alpha-2-macroglobulin) were found to be between 0.13 and 0.46 mg per 1000 U of FXI. Fibrinogen and relevant coagulation factors (factors II, V, VII, IX, X, XII, XIII, and VIII/von Willebrand factor) were undetectable, as evidenced by immunologic and immunoelectrophoretic data. Components of the kinin system were present in trace amounts or were undetectable. No evidence of activated factors such as factors Xa and IXa was found. Proteolytic activity, as assessed by S-2288 chromogenic substrate, was negligible and thrombin was undetectable. A solvent-detergent treatment was included prior to chromatographic purification to enhance viral safety against lipid-enveloped viruses. In vitro and in vivo animal studies demonstrated the absence of thrombogenic, hypotensive, or toxic effects. No thrombogenic activity was found in the Wessler model in rabbits at doses of 900 to 1100 U of FXI per kg of body weight. This FXI preparation could be beneficial in substitution therapy of congenital or acquired FXI deficiency, especially as a way to avoid the use of fresh-frozen plasma.

Safety aspects in the manufacturing of plasma-derived coagulation factor concentrates

Plasma-derived coagulation factor concentrates, prepared using traditional manufacturing processes, have transmitted viral diseases, especially AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C to patients. To date, more extensive selection of blood donors, improved screening procedures of each plasma donation for direct and indirect viral markers, and newly developed virucidal procedures, especially pasteurization and solvent-detergent, together with extraction technologies of plasma proteins based on high-resolution chromatographic separations, have diminished considerably the risks of transmitting these pathogenic agents. To ensure safety, each production process must be carefully validated, following a rigorous scientific approach to assess its ability to inactivate or eliminate viruses. In addition, Good Manufacturing Practices must avoid any variation from these validated viral inactivation processes and must eliminate risks of potential downstream contamination of purified plasma fractions following viral inactivation or elimination steps. Other side-effects associated with conventional low-purity preparations, such as acute haemolytic anemia due to contamination by isohaemagglutinins, or immunosuppression possibly due to an overload in fibrinogen and immunoglobulins, have not been reported following infusion of highly purified coagulation factor concentrates. Present state-of-the-art virus inactivation and protein-purification technologies have significantly improved the safety of plasma coagulation factor concentrates.

A pasteurized therapeutic plasma

A process to subject pooled human plasma to a viral inactivation treatment by heating in the liquid state for 10 hrs at 60 degrees C (pasteurization) has been designed and evaluated. Activity recovered from clotting factors and protease inhibitors exceeded 80%. Overall clotting activity remained good. No activation of coagulation factors was detected. The process did not generate aggregates. No side effects (toxicity, hypotension, variation in heart rate, thrombogenicity) could be detected in animal models. Virus kill studies, using 7 lipid-enveloped and non-enveloped viruses including HIV-1 and Sindbis virus, revealed inactivation levels similar to those obtained for plasma derivatives. Thus, pasteurisation of human plasma can be achieved in conditions that allow good recovery of biological properties while ensuring a high degree of inactivation of lipid-enveloped and non-enveloped viruses.

Chromatographic preparation of a therapeutic highly purified von Willebrand factor concentrate from human cryoprecipitate

A therapeutic highly purified von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentrate has been prepared from cryoprecipitate by a three-step chromatographic procedure. After solvent/detergent treatment to inactivate viruses, the cryoprecipitate solution was chromatographed on DEAE-fractogel TSK 650 M to separate vWF from most cryoprecipitate proteins, including factor VIII (FVIII) and fibrinogen. A second DEAE-fractogel TSK 650 M was then performed to further purify vWF and to allow concentrating it to over 100 U ristocetin cofactor activity/ml. The last step on immobilized gelatin removed fibronectin and increased the purity of vWF. vWF was recovered with about 18 and 40% yield in antigen and collagen-binding (CB) activity, respectively, from cryoprecipitate. vWF was obtained in an essentially pure state corresponding to a purification factor of over 10,000-fold from plasma. Immunonephelometric and SDS-PAGE analyses of the concentrate did not reveal any detectable cryoprotein contaminants, especially fibrinogen, fibronectin, immunoglobulins and albumin. The content in intermediate- and high-molecular-weight multimers in the concentrate was similar or higher than that of plasma, as the ion-exchanger selectively favored the binding and concentration of the larger multimeric forms while reducing the amount of the smaller forms with abnormal structure and low activity. Other characteristics of the concentrate included a CB activity to antigen ratio of 1.69 and a high capacity (86%) to correct platelet adhesion in a perfusion system. Clinical use of this standardized vWF concentrate has been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of vWF patients.

Comparison of high purity factor IX concentrates and a prothrombin complex concentrate in a canine model of thrombogenicity

A non-stasis canine model of thrombogenicity has been used to evaluate batches of high purity factor IX concentrates from 4 manufacturers and a conventional prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC). Platelets, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen, fibrin(ogen) degradation products and fibrinopeptide A (FPA) were monitored before and after infusion of concentrate. Changes in FPA were found to be the most sensitive and reproducible indicator of thrombogenicity after infusion of batches of the PCC at doses of between 60 and 180 IU/kg, with a dose related delayed increase in FPA occurring. Total FPA generated after 100-120 IU/kg of 3 batches of PCC over the 3 h time course was 9-12 times that generated after albumin infusion. In contrast the amounts of FPA generated after 200 IU/kg of the 4 high purity factor IX products were in all cases similar to albumin infusion. It was noted that some batches of high purity concentrates had short NAPTTs indicating that current in vitro tests for potential thrombogenicity may be misleading in predicting the effects of these concentrates in vivo.

Parasitologic and clinical human response to immunoglobulin administration in falciparum malaria

The protective effect of African IgG antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum malaria was investigated by passive transfer in Thai patients. Sera from 333 African adults were collected in the Cote d'Ivoire and subjected to extensive screening. One hundred fifty-three samples were discarded for safety reasons, and IgG was extracted from those remaining under conditions allowing their use by the intravenous (iv) route. Eight Thai patients with P. falciparum parasitemia were treated by iv inoculation of the IgG: six with a 100 mg/kg dose given over three days, one with a single 20 mg/kg dose, and one with a single 200 mg/kg dose. To ensure a safety margin of at least 48 hours, subjects were chosen among patients having a recrudescent parasitemia following quinine treatment failure at the RI level. At that stage, symptoms were mild or absent and parasitemia was low but increasing (range 4, 200-9,000/microliters). The IgG pool exerted a profound, stage-specific, but non-sterilizing effect on each of the strains tested, and proved to be safe. Asexual parasitemia decreased by a mean 728-fold (range 46-1,086), while gametocytes were unaffected. Clearance of parasites and symptoms was as fast or faster than with drugs, and was consistent in the eight patients treated, suggesting that target antigens were equally expressed in geographically remote isolates. In peripheral blood smears, no mature forms were seen at any time during the followup, which does not support the hypothesis that reversal of cytoadherence occurred. After the disappearance of the transferred antibodies, recrudescent parasites from three patients were found to be susceptible to the same extent (mean decrease of 1,310-fold) to the same IgG preparation, indicating that selection of parasites able to escape the effect of antibodies had not occurred. No adverse side-effects were detected during the followup, which lasted one year.

A highly purified factor VIII:c concentrate prepared from cryoprecipitate by ion-exchange chromatography

A new ion-exchange chromatographic procedure has been developed to produce a highly purified factor VIII (FVIII) concentrate from plasma cryoprecipitate. Solubilized cryoprecipitate, after adsorption on aluminium hydroxide and cold precipitation, was treated with 0.3% tri(n-butyl)phosphate and 1% Tween 80 at 25 degrees C for at least 8 h to inactivate lipid-enveloped viruses. The fraction was then loaded onto a column packed with DEAE-Fractogel TSK 650 M and chromatographed. Most proteins and TnBP-Tween 80 flowed through the gel unretarded. FVIII:c, which bound to the gel, was eluted by increasing the ionic strength, then was directly filter-sterilized without ultrafiltration or addition of a protein stabilizer. Chromatographic recovery of FVIII:c was 80-90%. After freeze-drying, FVIII:c was at a concentration of 42.5 +/- 9.5 IU/ml and had a specific activity of 175.4 +/- 37.8 IU/mg (n = 40), corresponding to a purification factor of over 12,000 from plasma. The typical yield of the freeze-dried FVIII:c from cryoprecipitate was 55-65%. FVIII:c was stable for over 24 h at room temperature in the liquid state. The mean content of fibrinogen and immunoglobulin G was only 65 and 100 mg/l, respectively, corresponding to 1.4 and 2.3 mg/1,000 IU FVIII:c. This concentrate, which is much purer than traditional FVIII concentrates, has been found to be well tolerated and effective in clinical treatment of hemophilia A patients.

Biochemical and physical properties of a solvent-detergent-treated fibrin glue

A fibrin glue preparation has been obtained from pooled human plasma using a procedure which includes a solvent-detergent (SD) treatment to inactivate lipid-enveloped viruses. The SD treatment inactivated greater than or equal to 5.5 log10 of HIV in less than 45 min, and greater than or equal to 5 log10 and greater than or equal to 6.5 log10 of VSV and Sindbis virus, respectively, in less than 2 h. The product was found to contain high quantities of fibrinogen (116 +/- 2.49 g/l; n = 12), factor XIII (35 +/- 2.88 U/ml) and von Willebrand factor (23 +/- 1.9 U/ml ristocetin cofactor activity), and relatively low levels of fibronectin (5.9 +/- 0.51 g/l). Plasminogen, the precursor of plasmin, which may play a negative role by decreasing the resistance of the fibrin clot, was at only 0.03 g/l. Cellulose acetate electrophoresis showed 95% gamma-proteins and 5% alpha-2-beta proteins. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions detected three main protein bands with apparent molecular weights of 65, 56 and 47 kilodaltons, probably corresponding to the alpha, beta, and gamma fibrinogen subunits. Other characteristics of the product included (1) high clottability of fibrinogen (over 85%); (2) absence of low molecular weight fibrin degradation products; (3) rapid solubilization at room temperature (less than 10 min); (4) high tensile strength (202 +/- 27 g/cm2 after 2 h of application), and (5) high elasticity of the fibrin clot. In addition, scanning electron microscopy revealed a highly organized structure showing tridimensional arrangement of the fibrin fibers. SD treated fibrin glue should efficiently replace autologous fibrinogen or cryoprecipitate preparations for surgical application.

Properties of a highly purified human plasma factor IX:c therapeutic concentrate prepared by conventional chromatography

We have characterized a highly purified (HP) factor IX concentrate intended for therapy of hemophilia B. The product has been prepared from pooled human plasma using a large-scale procedure combining three conventional chromatographic steps based on DEAE ion exchange and affinity on immobilized heparin. The specific activity of the product was 119 +/- 10 IU factor IX:c/mg protein (n = 15), corresponding to a purification factor of about 9,000. The concentrate was free of the vitamin K-dependent clotting factors II, VII and X and of proteins C and S. Most of the contaminants found in factor IX complex concentrate (PCC) were absent in this new product. High-molecular-weight kininogen, factors VIII, XI, XII or prekallikrein were not detected. There were no activated factors, such as factors IXa, and Xa, no thrombin and no phospholipids. Only two contaminants could be detected: C4 and inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (about 0.8 and 1.2 mg/1,000 IU factor IX:c, respectively). The purity of the product, as compared to PCC, was confirmed by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, cellulose acetate electrophoresis, Grabar-Williams immunoelectrophoresis, and bidimensional immunoelectrophoresis. Thrombogenicity tests in rabbits revealed that the HP factor IX tested had a lower thrombogenic power than the PCC tested. The concentrate has been subjected to a 0.3% tri(n-butyl) phosphate-1% Tween 80 treatment for 6h at 25 degrees C during its production to reduce or eliminate the risk of transmission of plasma-borne lipid-enveloped viruses. These conditions inactivated more than 3.8 log10 of vesicular stomatitis virus and more than 4.3 log10 of sindbis virus within 1 and 2 h of treatment, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Large-scale production and properties of a solvent-detergent-treated factor IX concentrate from human plasma

A human solvent-detergent (SD)-treated factor IX concentrate has been produced from cryoprecipitate-poor plasma using DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B and heparin-Sepharose CL-6B chromatography. The DEAE eluate was incubated with an SD mixture [0.3% tri(n-butyl) phosphate-1% Tween 80, 6-h at 24 degrees C] which was found to inactivate, in less than 1 h, more than 3.8 log10 of vesicular stomatitis virus and more than 4.8 log10 of Sindbis virus; the SD was removed by a subsequent heparin adsorption step. The specific activity of the concentrate was 10.9 +/- 1.3 IU factor IX: c/mg protein (n = 15). The factor IX coagulant to antigen ratio was 0.7 +/- 0.1. The concentrate was essentially free of factors II, VII and X, and protein C. The usual major contaminants of prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) were absent: the concentrate contained about 94% alpha-1 proteins, and only 4 major proteins were resolved by SDS-PAGE (respective apparent molecular weight: 130, 86, 76 and 69 kilodaltons), and by crossed immunoelectrophoresis against an anti-PCC serum. The nonactivated partial thromboplastin time was equivalent to that of PCC; the product was devoid of factor IXa, of other activated procoagulant factors and of coagulant-active phospholipids (removed with SD in the heparin breakthrough fraction). Animal studies using the Wessler test and acute-toxicity test in rabbits revealed no adverse side effects. SD treatment could thus be used to inactivate viruses in factor IX concentrate and improve the safety of replacement therapy in hemophilia B.

Biochemical and biological properties of an alpha 1-antitrypsin concentrate

alpha 1-Antitrypsin (AAT) has been purified from human plasma supernatant A (equivalent to COHN fraction II + III) by a large-scale chromatographic procedure involving anion-exchange adsorption on DEAE Sepharose CL-6B fast flow and size-exclusion chromatography on Sephacryl S-200. Before freeze-drying, the liquid concentrate was heat-treated at 60 degrees C for 10 h to reduce the risk of transmission of blood-born viral diseases. Using this procedure, AAT is recovered with 80-90% purity in 65-75% yield from supernatant A. The heterogeneity of AAT is preserved across the purification steps. In addition, purified AAT exhibits inhibitory activities against trypsin and elastase equivalent to that of the serum protein. The mean association rate constant for elastase was found as high as 2.15 X 10(5) M-1 s-1. Thus, purifying active AAT from supernatant A contributes to improving the availability of this protein which may be potentially useful in the treatment of hereditary emphysema.

Chromosomal control of glutenin subunits in aneuploid lines of wheat: analysis by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Glutenin subunits from nullisomic-tetrasomic and ditelocentric lines of the hexaploid wheat variety 'Chinese Spring' (CS) and from substitution lines of the durum wheat variety 'Langdon' were fractionated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) at 70 °C using a gradient of acetonitrile in the presence of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid. Nineteen subunits were detected in CS. The presence and amounts of four early-eluted subunits were found, through aneuploid analysis, to be controlled by the long arms of chromosomes 1D (1DL) (peaks 1-2) and 1B (1BL) (peaks 3-4). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that these four subunits are the high molecular weight subunits of glutenin, which elute in the order 1Dy, 1Dx, 1By, and 1Bx. Similar amounts of 1DL subunits were present (6.3 and 8.8% of total glutenin), but 1BL subunits differed more in abundance (5.4 and 9.5%, respectively). Results indicate that most late-eluting CS glutenin subunits were coded by structural genes on the short arms of homoeologous group 1 chromosomes: 6 by 1DS, 5 by 1AS, and 4 by 1BS. Glutenin of tetraploid 'Langdon' durum wheat separated into nine major subunits: 6 were coded by genes on 1B chromosomes, and 3 on 1A chromosomes. Gene locations for glutenin subunits in the tetraploid durum varieties 'Edmore' and 'Kharkovskaya-5' are also given. These results should make RP-HPLC a powerful tool for qualitative and quantitative genetic studies of wheat glutenin.

Chromosomal control of wheat gliadin: analysis by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Gliadin proteins of the hexaploid wheat variety 'Chinese Spring', and of its nullisomic-tetrasomic and ditelocentric aneuploid lines, were analyzed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Reversed-phase separations were carried out at 70°C on C8 and C18 columns using a gradient of increasing acetonitrile concentration in the presence of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid. Thirty-five components were separated and all were found to be controlled by genes on the short arms of group 1 and group 6 chromosomes (the complex Gli-1 and Gli-2 loci). Results indicated that gluten polypeptides elute as groups in order of increasing hydrophobicity in the following approximate order: (1) albumins plus globulins, (2) ω-gliadins, (3) high molecular weight (MW) glutenin subunits, (4) α-type gliadins, (5) low MW glutenin subunits, and (6) γ-gliadins. The three distinct protein types coded by genes at the complex Gli-I loci (ω-gliadins, γ-gliadins, and low MW glutenin subunits) thus have uniquely different surface hydrophobicities. Similarly, gene locations for hexaploid 'Cheyenne' gliadins and durum gliadin proteins in the varieties 'Langdon', 'Edmore', and 'Kharkovskaya-5' were determined through RP-HPLC analysis of aneuploid lines. All results confirm known locations of genes for gliadin proteins, and demonstrate that RP-HPLC is a powerful new tool for analysis of gliadins in breeding and genetic studies.

Inheritance of glutenin subunits in F1 seeds of reciprocal crosses between European hexaploid wheat cultivars

Ten pairs of reciprocal crosses have been made between wheat cultivars which show differences in their glutenin subunit compositions. The F1 seed glutenin subunit composition was studied by means of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The results indicate that all the high molecular weight (HMW) and medium molecular weight (MMW) subunits (from 133,000 to 65,000 daltons) are transmitted to the F1 seed generation from the parental cultivars. In accordance with the triploid nature of the heterozygous endosperm (3n) and with the maternal and paternal gene dosage ratio (2∶1) in the endosperm itself, a significant effect of maternal parent is registered when comparing pairs of reciprocal seeds. Genes coding for the glutenin subunits are expressed whatever their doses are (one, two, or three) in the hybrid endosperm; thus the glutenin subunits inheritance is consistent with the co-dominant type.For one pair of the reciprocal crosses, two MMW parental bands (MW: 71,000 and 66,000) seemed absent in the F1 seed patterns while a new band with an intermediate, apparent MW (68,000) appears. This phenomenon was observed when the glutenins analyzed by electrophoresis were previously separated from other endosperm proteins, and not when they were directly extracted from the ground seed. We assume that the extraction can cause interactions between moieties attached to the subunits and lead to the formation of a complex having an intermediate electrophoretic mobility.

[Valve of a freeze-dried gelatin-agarose combination in selective extraction of fibronectin from human plasma]

We report here a simple procedure for the isolation of human plasma fibronectin by affinity adsorption on a new lyophilized adsorbent which is obtained by mixing and polymerizing agarose with gelatin. This method permits to obtain fibronectin and a fibronectin-depleted plasma without dilution. The yield of fibronectin is about 20 to 25 per cent. Fibronectin was identified by cross-reactions against specific antibodies. Its purity (greater than or equal to 99 per cent) was controlled by immunoelectrophoresis and SDS-PAGE. Furthermore, its biological activity was demonstrated by a spreading test performed on BHK cells. Such a test can be used to determine the specific activity of extracted fibronectin considering that the number of spread cells placed in presence of exogenous fibronectin (5 microgram/ml of culture medium) was 4.5 to 5 fold-superior to the control, after 30 minutes of incubation at 37 degrees C.

Glutenin subunits of genetically related European hexaploid wheat cultivars: Their relation to bread-making quality

The subunit composition of glutenin from 47 European wheat cultivars was studied using SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These cultivars are genetically related since they originate from the same stock. Moreover, the diversity of sample, containing cultivars with very different French bread-making qualities, makes it possible to investigate the relationship between glutenin subunit composition and bread-making quality. 16 electrophoretic types of glutenin subunits could be distinguished: these were grouped into four classes. Depending on the cultivar, six to eight glutenin subunits with MW more than or equal to 62,000 were detected. Subunits 3 and 5, with an approximate MW of 122,000 and 108,000 respectively, seem to play a prominent role on bread-making quality; they were found in cultivars of good quality and were absent in those unsuitable for making French bread. Two other subunits (9 and 10; MW: 71,000 and 66,000, respectively) have a less defined influence but may be needed in some types of glutenin structure. Aneuploid analysis shows that in 'Chinese Spring', subunit 5 is coded by a gene on the long arm of chromosome 1B. The location of genes coding for subunits 3, 9 and 10 could not be determined.