Thromb Haemost 1994; 71(01): 129-133
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1642396
Review Article
Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

Prevalence and Induction of Circulating Antibodies against Recombinant Staphylokinase

P J Declerck
The Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, University of Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, O & N, Leuven, Belgium
,
S Vanderschueren
The Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, University of Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, O & N, Leuven, Belgium
,
J Billiet
The Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, University of Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, O & N, Leuven, Belgium
,
H Moreau
The Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, University of Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, O & N, Leuven, Belgium
,
D Collen
The Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, University of Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, O & N, Leuven, Belgium
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 30 June 1993

Accepted after revision 09 September 1993

Publication Date:
12 July 2018 (online)

Preview

Summary

Streptokinase (SK) is a routinely used thrombolytic agent but it is immunogenic and allergenic; staphylokinase (STA) is a potential alternative agent which is under early clinical evaluation. The comparative prevalence of antibodies against recombinant STA (STAR) and against SK was studied in healthy subjects and their induction with intravenous administration in small groups of patients.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, using microtiter plates coated with STAR or SK and calibration with affinospecific human antibodies, revealed 2.1 to 65 μg/ml (median 11 μg/ml) anti-STAR antibodies and 0.9 to 370 μg/ml (median 18 μg/ml) anti-SK antibodies (p <0.001 vs anti-STAR antibodies) in plasma from 100 blood donors, with corresponding values of 0.6 to 100 μg/ml (median 7.1 μg/ml) and 0.4 to 120 μg/ml (median 7.3 μg/ml), respectively, in 104 patients with angina pectoris. Three out of 17 patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia had significantly increased anti-STAR antibody levels (150, 75 and 75 μg/ml), and STAR neutralizing activities (2.2, 3.6 and 4.1 μg STAR neutralized per ml plasma, respectively). In 6 patients with acute myocardial infarction, given 10 mg STAR intravenously over 30 min, median anti-STAR antibody levels were 3.5 μg/ml at baseline, 2.9 μg/ml at 6 to 8 days and 1.2 μg/ml at 2 to 9 weeks, with median corresponding titers of STAR neutralizing activity at 2 to 9 weeks of 42 μg/ml plasma. Conversely, in 5 patients treated with 1,500,000 units SK over 60 min, median anti-SK antibodies increased from 2.9 μg/ml at baseline to 360 μg/ml at 5 to 10 days, with corresponding median SK neutralizing activities of 13 μg/ml. Antibodies against STAR did not cross-react with SK and vice versa.

Plasma from human subjects contains low levels of circulating antibodies against recombinant staphylokinase, and intravenous administration of this compound boosts antibody titers. These antibodies do however not cross-react with streptokinase, whereby the use of these two immunogenic thrombolytic agents would not be mutually exclusive.