title: The development of assays for the detection of fibrin(ogen)olysis based on COOH-terminal A alpha chain epitopes.
abstract: The COOH-terminal two-thirds of the fibrinogen A alpha chain is a substrate for both factor XIIIa and plasmin and is, therefore, a source of structural markers for the clinical detection of fibrin(ogen)olysis. Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) that bind to epitopes within this region (F-102, A alpha 563-578; F-103, A alpha 259-276) have been applied towards the development of two sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The first assay, a capture (F-102)-tag (F-103) ELISA, measures plasma fibrinogen molecules whose A alpha chains are intact. The second assay, a solution phase competitive ELISA based on MoAb F-102, quantifies circulating COOH-terminal A alpha chain degradation products (A alpha FDPs), among the earliest peptides released from fibrinogen during plasmin-mediated fragment X formation. This assay features a novel preliminary plasma absorption step on concanavalin A to recover A alpha FDPs (if present in the sample) in a milieu free of immunologically cross-reactive fibrinogen. Both ELISAs use highly purified fibrinogen as the assay standard for quantitation. In control plasmas, circulating A alpha FDPs accounted for less than 2% of their respective intact fibrinogen A alpha chain concentration, suggesting a physiologic low level of proteolysis occurring at the extreme COOH-terminal portion of the molecule. Plasma A alpha FDPs were elevated (2.3% to 7.8% of their respective intact fibrinogen A alpha chain concentration) in a group of plasma from patients with documented, high serum FDPs (21 to 41 micrograms/mL). Application of the two ELISAs to characterize the course of A alpha chain proteolysis during thrombolytic therapy (TIMI phase 1) indicated that A alpha FDPs were a very early marker of the lytic state (detectable 15 minutes after treatment had been initiated), and that streptokinase and recombinant tissue plasminogen activator appeared to produce significantly different A alpha chain degradation profiles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sobel
authors.forename: H Q
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Canfield
mesh_terms: D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D006801:Humans; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D013300:Streptokinase / Q000494:pharmacology; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D005340:Fibrinogen; D013300:Streptokinase; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator