Characterization of recombinant human C1 inhibitor secreted in milk of transgenic rabbits.

C1 inhibitor (C1INH) is a single-chain glycoprotein that inhibits activation of the contact system of coagulation and the complement system. C1INH isolated from human blood plasma (pd-hC1INH) is used for the management of hereditary angioedema (HAE), a disease caused by heterozygous deficiency of C1INH, and is a promise for treatment of ischemia-reperfusion injuries like acute myocardial or cerebral infarction. To obtain large quantities of C1INH, recombinant human C1INH (rhC1INH) was expressed in the milk of transgenic rabbits (12 g/l) harboring genomic human C1INH sequences fused to 5' bovine αS(1) casein promoter sequences.

Complexes of anti-prothrombin antibodies and prothrombin cause lupus anticoagulant activity by competing with the binding of clotting factors for catalytic phospholipid surfaces.

We investigated the mechanism by which anti-prothrombin antibodies cause lupus anticoagulant (LAC) activity. Addition of affinity-purified anti-prothrombin antibodies from LAC-positive plasma samples (alpha-FII-LAC+) to normal plasma induced LAC activity. Upon increasing the phospholipid concentration, LAC activity was neutralized.

Beta2-glycoprotein I is proteolytically cleaved in vivo upon activation of fibrinolysis.

Beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2GPI) is a plasma glycoprotein with unknown physiological function(s). In in vitro experiments it has been demonstrated that beta2GPI has both anticoagulant properties, such as the inhibition of factor X and prothrombin activation and procoagulant properties, such as the inhibition of the anticoagulant activity of activated protein C. Besides this, beta2GPI bound to cardiolipin is recognized by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL).

The prevalence of a non-phospholipid-binding form of beta2-glycoprotein I in human plasma--consequences for the development of anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibodies.

The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) is strongly correlated with venous and arterial thrombosis, fetal loss and thrombocytopenia. This relation is called the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). It is well recognized that thrombosis related aPL are not directed against phospholipids alone, but to phospholipid bound plasma proteins like beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2GPI).

Anti-prothrombin antibodies and their relation with thrombosis and lupus anticoagulant.

Antiphospholipid antibodies are a heterogeneous group of antibodies, comprising antibodies with different antigen specificity. Prothrombin is one of the antigens which can be detected by antiphospholipid antibodies and therefore anti-prothrombin antibodies belong to the antiphospholipid antibody family. The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies correlates strongly with thromboembolic complications; however a mechanism by which these autoantibodies induce a thrombotic complication in vivo is not understood.