Characterization of von Willebrand factor in factor VIII concentrates

Commercial concentrates of factor VIII (FVIII) were analyzed in order to 1) determine the effects of viral inactivation on von Willebrand factor (vWF); 2) evaluate the vWF content of the new, immunopurified concentrates; and 3) assess their potential for correcting the long bleeding time of von Willebrand disease (vWD). Included in our study were products that had been treated to inactivate viruses; older, untreated products; and the new, immunopurified concentrates. We measured von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag), ristocetin cofactor activity (RCoF), and vWF multimeric and subunit composition. A newly developed radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used to quantitate vWF:Ag. The vWF:Ag content varied from 0.083 micrograms/IU FVIII:C for Hemofil M to 32.2 micrograms/IU FVIII:C for Humate-P, whereas pooled normal human plasma (NHP) contained 6.3 micrograms/IU FVIII:C. The RCoF varied from 0.0007 to 2.09 U/IU FVIII:C, with the immunopurified concentrates having the lowest values and Humate-P the highest. The ratio of RCoF to vWF:Ag ranged from 11 to 96 U/mg, as compared to a ratio of 160 for NHP. All of the concentrates lacked the largest vWF multimers, and all had abnormal triplet patterns. Modest differences between some untreated concentrates and their treated counterparts were noted. As expected, the immunopurified concentrates had much lower levels of all vWF activities than the conventionally prepared products. Our data suggest that none of the concentrates have as great a capacity as NHP to correct the prolonged bleeding time of von Willebrand disease.