Dissociation of factor VIII in the presence of proteolytic inhibitors

When gel filtration of factor VIII is performed with buffers of high ionic strength (1.0 M NaCl or 0.25 M CaCl2), the procoagulant activity elutes with proteins of relatively low molecular weight. It has been suggested that in the presence of proteolytic inhibitors, the procoagulant activity would appear at the void volume. To test this hypothesis, chromatography with buffers of high ionic strength was performed in the presence of benzamidine hydrochloride, soy bean trypsin inhibitor, heparin, DFP, and aprotinin. Under all of these conditions, the procoagulant activity continued to elute with proteins of low molecular weight. Similar findings were obtained after chromatographing cryoprecipitate prepared from the plasma of a normal subject who had received heparin. Thus, at present there is no direct evidence to suggest that proteolysis is involved in the dissociation of factor VIII by buffers of high ionic strength.