Identification and some properties of a new fast-reacting plasmin inhibitor in human plasma

Fresh plasma was seeded with trace amounts of highly purified biologically intact iodine-labelled plasminogen and the plasmin-inhibitor complexes formed after activation with streptokinase or urokinase separated by gel filtration. Two radioactive peaks were observed, the first one eluted in the void volume and the second one just before the 7-S globulin peak. In incompletely activated samples, the second peak was always predominant over the first one. Both components were purified with high yield by a combination of affinity chromatography on lysine-agarose and gel filtration, and investigated by dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis. Neither component reacted with antisera against alpha1-antitrypsin, antithrombin III, C1-esterase inhibitor, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor or alpha1-antichymotrypsin. The component of the first peak appeared to be a complex between plasmin and alpha2-macroglobulin which reacted with antisera against human plasminogen and against alpha2-macroglobulin. The component of the second peak had a molecular weight (Mr) of 120000-140000 by dodecyl-sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and lpon reduction displayed a doublet band with an Mr of 65000-70000 and a band with Mr 11000. It reacted with antisera against plasminogen and with antisera raised against this complex and absorbed with purified plasminogen. The latter antisera reacted with a single component in plasma which is different from the above-mentioned plasma protease inhibitors. Specific removal of this component from plasma by immuno-absorption resulted in disappearance of the fast-reacting antiplasmin activity whereas alpha2-macroglobulin was found to represent the slower-reacting plasmin-neutralizing activity. In the presence of normal plasma levels of these proteins, the specific removal or absence of alpha1-antitrypsin, antithrombin III or C1-esterase inhibitor did not alter the inactivation rate of plasmin when added to plasma in quimolar amounts to that of plasminogen. It is concluded that only two plasma proteins are important in the binding of plasmin generated by activation of the plasma plasminogen, namely a fast-reacting inhibitor which is different from the known plasma protease inhibitors and which we have provisionally named antiplasmin, and alpha2-macroglobulin, which reacts more slowly.