Summary
We have previously demonstrated that neutralization of factor IX in normal plasma by heterologous antisera shortens the one stage prothrombin time determined with bovine thromboplastin. In this study, a similar effect of homologous antibodies was demonstrated. Addition of plasma from two patients with hemophilia B- and an acquired inhibitor to factor IX gave a shortening of the prothrombin time of plasma from normal persons, compared to the prothrombin time determined after addition of control plasma from a patient with hemophilia B- and no inhibitor. Addition of inhibitor plasma had a similar effect on the prothrombin time of plasma from four patients with hemophilia B+ and one patient with hemophilia Br, but had no effect on the prothrombin time of plasma from ten patients with hemophilia B-. Complexes between factor IX and the human inhibitor could be demonstrated both before and after the coagulation with bovine thromboplastin. These complexes were demonstrated as a factor IX antigen with a reduced electrophoretic mobility in crossed immunoelectrophoresis against a rabbit antiserum to factor IX. The results demonstrate that normal factor IX loses the ability to act as an inhibitor in the coagulation with bovine thromboplastin after having formed a soluble complex with a homologous antibody, although the factor IX molecules still have antigenic determinants which are free to react with the rabbit antibodies.
Keywords
Factor IX - Bovine thromboplastin - Alloantibodies
