Sensitivity and specificity of plasma serine protease chromogenic substrates

Rates of hydrolysis of the newly developed peptide chromogenic substrates S-2160, S-2238, S-2222 and S-2251 and Chromozym TH were tested against highly purified preparations of human plasmin, bovine trypsin, human alpha-thrombin, and bovine factor Xa. S-2160, S-2238, and chromozym TH are sensitive to thrombin, Chromozym TH and S-2238 exhibiting a substantially greater sensitivity than S-2160. All three substrates are insensitive to factor Xa but hydrolyzed to varying degrees by plasmin and trypsin. In contrast, S-2222 is sensitive to factor Xa and insensitive to thrombin. S-2251 is relatively plasmin-specific. In addition, the substrate Chromozym PK was evaluated and found to be relatively specific for plasma kallikrein. Clinically useful assays for antithrombin III and heparin using S-2222 as the substrate and factor Xa as the enzyme, plasma plasminogen and plasmin inhibitors using S-2251 as the substrate, and plasma prekallikrein and kallikrein inhibitors using Chromozym PK as the substrate have been developed.