Isolation and characterization of human heparin

Heparin was isolated from an unusually large human hemangioma that contained an elevated level of mast cells. Purification of multimilligram quantities of heparin from this tissue sample permitted a thorough examination of its structure and activity. Characterization of this human heparin included the following: one-dimensional and two-dimensional 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analysis; oligosaccharide mapping; saccharide compositional analysis; and in vitro assessment and anticoagulant activity. Oligosaccharide mapping and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that this human heparin is structurally similar to porcine intestinal mucosal heparin but distinctly different from bovine lung heparin. This human heparin also has substantially more in vitro anticoagulant activity than either of these pharmaceutical heparins.