International Collaborative Study on the Assay of Commercially Available High and Low Molecular Weight Urokinases

Summary

Urokinases of different molecular weights are now commercially available. An international collaborative study (eight laboratories) has been conducted to investigate the effect of type and concentration of plasminogen on the assay of two different urokinase preparations against the International Reference Preparation (IRP). Considerable inter-laboratory variation in relative potency estimation was found, and a small effect of plasminogen concentration, independent of type, was apparent.

Keywords

Assay - Urokinases - High and low-molecular weight

• References

• 1 Andrassy K, Ritz E. Preparation (agar zone electrophoresis) and immunological characterization of urokinase. Thromb Haemostas 1977; 38: 536-544
• 2 White WF, Barlow GH, Mozen MM. The isolation and characterization of plasminogen activators (urokinase) from human urine. Biochemistry 1966; 5: 2160-2169
• 3 Lesuk A, Terminiello L, Traver JH, Groff JL. Biochemical and biophysical studies of human urokinase. Thromb Diath Haemorrh 1967; 18: 293
• 4 Bernik MB, Kwaan HC. Origin of fibrinolytic activity in cultures of the human kidney. J Lab Clin Med 1967; 70: 650-661
• 5 Astedt B, Barlow GH, Holmberg L. Time-related release of various molecular forms of urokinase in tissue culture. Thrombos Res 1977; 11: 149-153
• 6 Ploug J, Kjeldgaard NO. Urokinase, an activator of plasminogen from human urine. I: Isolation and properties. Biochim Biophys Acta 1957; 24: 278-282
• 7 Ong EB, Soberano ME, Johnson AJ, Schoellman G. Studies on the biochemistry of urokinase. Thromb Haemostas 1977; 38: 801-808
• 8 Lormeau JC, Goulay J, Vairel EG, Choay J. A comment on the activities of high and low molecular weight urokinases. In: Fibrinolysis: Current Fundamental and Clinical Concepts 1978. Gaffney PJ, Balkuv-Ulutin S. (Eds), Academic Press; London: p. 77-82
• 9 Rickli EE. The activation mechanism of human plasminogen. Thromb Diath Haemorrh 1975; 34: 386-395
• 10 Miller KD, Copeland WH. Isolation of human thrombin. Proc Soc exp Biol Med 1962; 111: 512-514
• 11 Finney DJ. Statistical Methods in Biological Assay. 1978. 3. Charles Griffin; London:
• 12 Urokinase Pulmonary Embolism Trial. A national cooperative study. American Heart Association Monograph No 39. Circulation 1973; 47: 1-108
• 13 Urokinase-Streptokinase Pulmonary Embolism Trial. Phase 2, Results. A cooperative study. J Amer Med Assoc 1974; 229: 1606-1613
• 14 Marder VJ, Donahoe JF, Bell WR, Cranley JJ, Kwaan HC, Sasahara AA, Barlow GH. Changes in the plasma fibrinolytic system during urokinase therapy: comparison of tissue culture urokinase with urinary source urokinase in patients with pulmonary embolism. J Lab Clin Med 1978; 92: 721-729
• 15 Gaffney PJ, Philo RD. A commentary on new methodology in haemostasis using chromogenic substrates. In: Perspectives in Haemostasis 1980. Fareed J, Mesmore H, Brinkhous K. (Eds), Academic Press; New York: (in press)