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An improved procedure for quantitation of platelet factor 4.

Platelet factor 4 (heparin neutralizing) activity shortens the thrombin time of a heparinized plasma. In the proposed procedure (I) a heparin thrombin time curve is constructed by adding gradually increasing amounts of heparin to a commercial plasma substrate and determining thrombin times, (2) a suitable concentration of heparin that gives highest reproducible thrombin time is selected and added to the substrate, (3) thrombin times are determined for the heparinized substrate before and after addition of a test material containing platelet factor 4. The two thrombin times are converted to heparin concentration by reference to the heparin thrombin time curve. The difference in heparin concentrations represents platelet factor 4 activity. When lyophilized commercial plasma is used as substrate larger quantities of heparin can be employed in the system, resulting in improved sensitivity and precision.

Blood Coagulation Factors

Purification and characterization of human and bovine platelet factor 4.

Platelet antiheparin, platelet factor 4, was isolated from freeze-thaw lysates of fresh bovine and outdated human platelet concentrates by a single step affinity chromatographic procedure. The yields of PF4 were 93 microgram and 142 microgram/ml of human and bovine platelets respectively. Antiheparin activity of the products were 558 units/mg for the bovine isolate and 489 units/mg for the human material. The bovine product is a single chain polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 12,300. Amino acid composition indicates 107-109 residues compared to the smaller human product which has an apparent molecular weight of 8,000 for a 70 residue polypeptide. The intact polypeptide was resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis as opposed to the reduced-alkylated derivative which was susceptible to hydrolysis in the presence and absence of heparin.

Amino Acids

Human platelet factor 4: Purification and characterization by affinity chromatography. Purification of human platelet factor 4.

Platelet factor 4 is a low molecular weight protein contained in the storage granules of platelets and released during aggregation with a variety of aggregating agents. In vitro, it is a potent antiheparin. This property has been used for a rapid, simple purification procedure using affinity chromatography on heparin epsilon-aminocaproic aced Sepharose. Supernatants collected from outdated platelet concentrates, or platelet extracts prepared from washed, outdate platlets themselves, are first precipitated with 50% ammonium sulfate. The supernatant is dialyzed and applied to the affinity column. Contaminating proteins are washed from the column with 0.5 M NaCl in 0.005 M sodium barbital buffer, pH 7.4 and the column is then eluted with a gradient of 0.5 to 3.0 M NaCl in 0.005 M sodium barbital buffer, pH 7.4. When prepared from platelet extracts, a single protein peak with high platelet factor 4 activity is eluted at 0.9 to 1.0 M NaCl. The peak fractions demonstrate a single band on Na dodecyl-SO4-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight as determined by Na dodecyl-SO4 gel electrophoresis was 11,600 +/- 330, and was 40,000 by gel filtration.

Amino Acids

Isolation, crystallization, and primary amino acid sequence of human platelet factor 4.

Human platelet factor 4 was purified by a method employing affinity chromatography on heparin/agarose. The amino acid sequence of the protein was determined by automatic Edman degradations and carboxypeptidase Y digestion. There are 70 amino acids in the protein with 5 of the 8 negatively charged residues clustered near the NH2 terminus and 10 of the 13 positively charged residues in clusters of 3 and 4 elsewhere in the protein. Small crystals have been obtained from ammonium sulfate solutions which give a promising preliminary x-ray diffraction pattern.

Amino Acid Sequence

Amino acid sequence of human platelet factor 4.

Human platelet factor 4, a protein that binds heparin, has been purified to apparent homogeneity and the complete amino acid sequence of the protein has been determined. The 70-residue polypeptide chain contains no methionine, tryptophan, or phenylalanine, and contains only a single tyrosyl residue. The sequence analysis demonstrates a highly negatively charged amino-terminal region. The carboxyl-terminal region of the polypeptide is unusual in that it contains a repetitive clustering of positively charged and hydrophobic pairs of amino acids; preliminary evidence suggests that this domain may play a role in the binding of heparin.

Amino Acid Sequence

Antigenic and antiheparin properties of human platelet factor 4 (PF4).

Platelet factor 4 (PF4, a heparin-neutralizing protein) was isolated from washed human platelets. It was found to be homogenous by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunodiffusion, and immunoelectrophoresis, when tested with monospecific antibody produced in rabbits. PF4 is a heat-stable protein, but its antiheparin activity and antigenicity are destroyed by trypsin. The molecular weight of PF4 as calculated by amino acid analysis is approximately 8000 and by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with beta-mercaptoethanol, 7100 daltons. PF4 migrated to the cathode at pH 8.6. The interaction of PF4 with heparin resulted in the formation of a complex which migrated to the anode, as tested by immunoelectrophoresis. Incubation of purified PF4 with its antibody at 37 degrees C resulted in a loss of antiheparin activity. The presence of antiheparin activity and of PG4 antigen in material released during platelet aggregation by various agents and at various stages of the preparative procedure closely correlated. It has been concluded that PF4 antigen and antiheparin activity are two properties of the same protein. Comparison of human and pig PF4 revealed significant biochemical and antigenic differences.

Amino Acids

Platelet factor 4 activity and thromboembolic episodes.

Platelet factor 4 activity was evaluated in 323 patients who had various diseases. High incidences (30% or more) of elevated levels of platelet factor 4 were found in patients with recent myocardial infarctions, recent episodes of thromboembolism, hepatic diseases, and low platelet counts. Three of the four patients who had prosthetic heart valves had markedly elevated platelet factor 4 activities. It appears that elevation of platelet factor 4 activity is associated with a high platelet turnover such as is seen in intravascular coagulation or thromboembolism. Determination of platelet factor 4 activity may be a valuable laboratory tool for the diagnosis of thromboembolism.

Age Factors

A simplified assay method for platelet factor 4 in plasma and in platelets with a chromogenic substrate.

A simple assay method for platelet factor 4 is described. When factor Xa was added to a system containing antithrombin III in excess and heparin in low concentration, the amount of factor Xa immediately inactivated was found to be a function of the concentration of heparin. When an antiheparin such as platelet factor 4 was added, an increase of the residual activity of factor Xa was observed. The magnitude of this increase was shown to be correlated to the amount of heparin inactivation in the system. Platelet factor 4 could be assayed when the concentrations of antithrombin III, heparin, and factor Xa were maintained at a constant level and in excess. As an indicator of the reaction, factor Xa was measured with the chromogenic substrate benzoyl-Ile-Gou-Gly-Arg-p-nitroanilide (S-2222).

Blood Coagulation Factors

Platelet antiheparin activity. The isolation and characterisation of platelet factor 4 released from thrombin-aggregated washed human platelets and its dissociation into subunits and the isolation of membrane-bound antiheparin activity.

Platelet factor 4 was isolated by gel filtration from the soluble release products of thrombin-aggregated washed human platelets as a proteoglycan-platelet factor 4 complex of molecular weight 358 000, Stokes radius (r-s) of 14.0 nm, sedimentation coefficient (s) of 7.1 S and frictional ratio (f/f-o) of 3.04. The complex was dissociated at high ionic strength (I equals 0.75) and the proteoglycan separated from platelet factor 4 by gel filtration. Platelet factor 4 had a molecular weight of 27 100, r-s of 2.52 nm, s of 2.4 S and f/f-o of 1.26, was insoluble under physiological conditions but readily soluble at pH 3. Under these conditions platelet factor 4 dissociated into four subunits with a molecular weight of 6900, r-s of 1.92 nm, s of 0.8 S, and f/f-o of 1.52. Qualitative N-terminal amino acid analysis showed the presence of glutamic acid or glutamine as the major end group. Platelet factor 4 was compared with protamine sulphate, which has similar biological properties, by electrophoresis at pH 2.2, in which both migrated as single bands but with differing mobility, and by amino acid analysis which showed a more normal distribution of residues than occurred in protamine sulphate. Of the basic amino acids platelet factor 4 (molecular weight 27 100) contained 5.97% arginine, 3.18% histidine, and 12.31% lysine compared to protamine sulphate with 64.2% arginine, 0.6% lysine and no histidine. A partial specific volume (v) of 0.747 was calculated for platelet factor 4 from its amino acid analysis. A membrane fraction with antiheparin activity, an isopycnic density of 1.090-1.110 and r-s of 15-35 nm, was also isolated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation from the ultrasonicated insoluble platelet residue remaining after thrombin-induced aggregation of washed human platelets. Trypsin treatment of the membrane fraction neither solubilised nor destroyed the activity.

Amino Acid Sequence

Distribution of fibrinogen, and platelet factors 4 and XIII in subcellular fractions of human platelets.

The distribution of fibrinogen, platelet factor 4 (heparin-neutralizing factor) and factor XIII amongst subcellular fractions of human platelets was determined. It was found that fibrinogen and platelet factor 4 peaked sharply in the region of the density gradient previously shown to be heavily enriched with alpha-granules. By contrast, factor XIII, fibrin-stabilizing factor, was found exclusively in the supernatant.

Blood Coagulation Factors

Half-life of platelet factor 4 (PF-4) in plasma and platelets from macaca mulatta.

Human platelet factor 4 (PF-4) showed a reaction of complete identity with PF-4 from Macaca mulatta when tested against rabbit anti-human-PF-4. Such immunoglobulin was used for quantitative precipitation of in vivo labelled PF-4 in monkey serum. The results suggest that the active protein had an intra-platelet half-life of about 21 hours. In vitro 125I-labelled human PF-4 was injected intravenously into two monkeys and isolated by immuno-precipitation from platelet-poor plasma and from platelets disrupted after gel-filtration. Plasma PF-4 was found to have a half-life of 7 to 11 hours. Some of the labelled PF-4 was associated with platelets and this fraction had a rapid initial disappearance rate and a subsequent half-life close to that of plasma PF-4. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that granular PF-4 belongs to a separate compartment, whereas membrane-bound PF-4 and plasma PF-4 may interchange.

Animals

Thrombin generation and secretion of platelet Factor 4 during blood clotting.

We have studied the platelet release reaction and thrombin generation during the spontaneous clotting of whole blood in vitro. Both thrombin formation and secretion of platelet Factor 4 were detected at least 12 min before clotting (clotting time, 22--26 min). Initially, at low thrombin concentrations (2--5 ng/ml), there is a small increase in plasma platelet Factor 4 (less than 1% of the amount present in serum). This is followed by a gradual increase in both platelet Factor 4 and thrombin concentrations over a 12 to 20-min interval. Finally, 5 min 5 before clotting, there is a rapid increase in both thrombin generation and platelet secretion. Thus, we have shown that the release of platelet Factor 4 is a prolonged reactoin and the extent to which it occurs parallel thrombin generation. It is only when thrombin concentrations are high (45--90) ng/ml)--during the period of clot formation--that the major part of platelet Factor 4 secretion occurs. Release of platelet Factor 4, like fibrin formation, occurs in the last step of in vitro coagulation.

Blood Coagulation

Platelet consumption and plasma concentration of platelet factor 4 (PF-J).

In 10 cancer patients platelet concentration, platelet consumption, platelet half-life time and plasms concentrations of platelet factor 4 were determined. A high freguency of thrombocytosis and increased platelet consumption were observed, and the plasms concentrations of platelet factor 4 was increased. However, no significant correlation was found between platelet consumption and the result of a single determination of platelet factor 4 concentrations in plasma.

Adult

Platelet factor 4: an inhibitor of collagenase.

Human platelet factor 4 (PF4) is known to bind to heparin and inhibit its anticoagulant effect. This factor also inhibits the enzyme collagenase derived from cultured human skin and collagenase extracted from human granulocytes. The addition of heparin to the PF4-collagenase assay system has no effect on the observed inhibition of collagenase. Thus PF4 inhibits collagenase, in addition to neutralizing heparin.

Blood Coagulation Factors

Cold urticaria as a model of mediator release: platelet factor 4, eosinophil cationic protein and histamine.

Platelet factor 4 (PF4) has previously been linked to precipitation of cold urticaria (CU). The aim of the study was to assess the liberation of PF4, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and histamine after cold challenge in patients with CU. Ten controls and 8 patients with CU verified by clinical data and cold challenge test were investigated. Assessment of histamine, ECP and PF4 were done using radioimmunoassays. In patients histamine increased after 10 min on the challenged arm (NS), PF4 increase was statistically significant (p less than 0.05) both in patients and controls. ECP release showed no significant changes. Treatment with doxepin results in clinical improvement, but no changes in mediator release were seen. Thus, in contrast to previous reports an increase of PF4 was seen both in controls as well as in patients. An involvement of ECP was not ascertained. Our data suggest that neither basophils, nor eosinophils or platelets are directly involved in cold urticaria and that mast cell-dependent mediators may be of greater relevance.

Adolescent