Quantitation of plasma factor XIIIa activity using fibrin-coated microscopic latex beads.
Following exposure to thrombin, monodisperse microscopic polystyrene-divinylbenzene beads coated with a mixed film of lecithin and fibrinogen aggregate as a consequence of interbead fibrin polymerization. These bead aggregates rapidly dissociate in 5 M urea. Treatment of aggregates with factor XIIIa results in a dose-dependent decrease of the rate of aggregate dissociation in urea. The rate of disaggregation is readily quantitated by turbidimetry. We have exploited this phenomenon to develop a rapid and sensitive method for quantitating factor XIIIa activity in plasma. Using 20 microliter of human plasma the method measures the activity of factor XIIIa to a level of 0.03 U ml-1 with a precision of +/-5%.
Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226.
G S
GS
Retzinger
B C
BC
Cook
R E
RE
Smith
M C
MC
McGinnis
D005337:Fibrin / Q000737:chemistry*; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008863:Microspheres; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry; D012016:Reference Values; D013499:Surface Properties; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000032:analysis*; D014508:Urea / Q000737:chemistry
D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D014508:Urea; D005337:Fibrin; D005340:Fibrinogen; D011503:Transglutaminases