title: Thrombin-hirudin complex stability: a comparison with the thrombin-antithrombin III complex.
abstract: In the present in vitro study the stabilities of the thrombin-hirudin and the thrombin-antithrombin III complexes were investigated. After incubation of the complexes with free inhibitors the thrombin-antithrombin III levels were determined by ELISA. The thrombin-hirudin complex proved to be stable in the presence of antithrombin III or heparin. However, in the presence of heparin and plasma equivalent concentrations of antithrombin III, the thrombin-hirudin complex dissociated and hirudin was displaced. In contrast, both thrombin-antithrombin III and thrombin-antithrombin III/heparin complexes are very stable even in the presence of a large excess of hirudin.
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratories of Behringwerke AG, Marburg/Lahn, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Römisch
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Pâques
mesh_terms: D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000737:chemistry*; D004355:Drug Stability; D006493:Heparin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006629:Hirudins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry*; D013917:Thrombin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006629:Hirudins; C046193:antithrombin III-protease complex; D000990:Antithrombin III; D006493:Heparin; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D013917:Thrombin