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Thrombin-hirudin complex stability: a comparison with the thrombin-antithrombin III complex

J Römisch1, E P Pâques

  • 1Research Laboratories of Behringwerke AG, Marburg/Lahn, Germany.

In the present in vitro study the stabilities of the thrombin-hirudin and the thrombin-antithrombin III complexes were investigated. After incubation of the complexes with free inhibitors the thrombin-antithrombin III levels were determined by ELISA. The thrombin-hirudin complex proved to be stable in the presence of antithrombin III or heparin. However, in the presence of heparin and plasma equivalent concentrations of antithrombin III, the thrombin-hirudin complex dissociated and hirudin was displaced. In contrast, both thrombin-antithrombin III and thrombin-antithrombin III/heparin complexes are very stable even in the presence of a large excess of hirudin.

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