title: Bioassay of procoagulant albumin in human plasma.
abstract: Procoagulant albumin (P-Al) is present in normal human plasma and increases monocyte and endothelial cell expression of tissue factor activity. To develop a bioassay for P-Al, we partially purified plasma from healthy volunteers and several patient groups using BaCl2 and (NH4)2SO4 precipitation. The samples were assayed for tissue factor (TF) inducing activity, expressed as a percentage increase compared to a serum-free media control. Over six months, the assay was reproducible in stored samples and in serial samples from normal volunteers. The plasma P-Al activities of 35 volunteers averaged 141 +/- 8.2% (SEM). There was no diurnal variation. There was no difference in the P-Al activity after a 12 hour fast and 2 hours after a large meal in 4 healthy volunteers. There was no increase in activity (r = 0.16) with the subject's age. The average activity from 16 poorly-controlled diabetics was 131 +/- 11% (SEM). No alteration in activity was seen with samples from patients with uremia, liver dysfunction, hemophilia, thrombotic events, or adenocarcinoma. These results indicate that P-Al activity can be bioassayed in individual patient samples; however, pathologic states associated with abnormal P-Al-induced tissue factor activity presently remain unidentified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City 84132.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grosset
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Rodgers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000502:physiology*; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000097:blood; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000032:analysis; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin; D013925:Thromboplastin