title: Characterization of a factor VIII immunogenic site using factor VIII synthetic peptide 1687-1695 and rabbit anti-peptide antibodies.
abstract: A 9 amino acid peptide, Ser-Pro-Arg-Ser-Phe-Gln-Lys-Lys-Thr, corresponding to the clotting factor VIII (FVIII) sequence Ser1687-Thr1695, was synthesized in order to analyze a site on FVIII to which antibody inhibitors of FVIII may be directed. This sequence contained a thrombin cleavage site. It was predicted to be immunogenic because a Hopp-Woods hydrophilicity analysis of the amino acid sequence of FVIII showed it to be very hydrophilic, and it contained a proline. The HPLC-purified peptide was cleaved by thrombin at Arg1689-Ser1690, as determined by amino acid sequencing of the cleavage product. Thrombin which had been treated with a specific chloromethyl ketone inhibitor, did not cleave the peptide. Two rabbits immunized with the peptide/keyhole limpet hemocyanin conjugate generated FVIII inhibitory sera with titers of 5.4 and 4.8 Bethesda units. These rabbit anti-peptide antibodies reacted with a peptide/-BSA conjugate on immunodot blot analyses and with native, affinity-purified FVIII in Western blots. In competitive immunoradiometric assays, cryosupernatants of 38/82 patients with FVIII inhibitors reacted with the synthetic peptide. We conclude that FVIII peptide Ser1687-Thr1695 is cleaved by thrombin at the same peptide bond which is cleaved in FVIII, and the peptide contains a site to which patients' inhibitory antibodies can be directed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester 01655.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tiarks
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pechet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Mole
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Humphreys
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D013917:Thrombin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000939:Epitopes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D005169:Factor VIII; D013917:Thrombin