Bio-immunoassay for staphylokinase in blood

A bio-immunoassay (BIA) for the determination of staphylokinase (STA) activity in a plasma milieu has been developed. MA-7H11, a murine monoclonal antibody raised against STA, which has a high affinity for STA but does not interfere with the complex formation between plasmin(ogen) and STA or with plasminogen activation by STA, was coated on microtiter plates at a concentration of 4 micrograms/ml. STA-containing samples were incubated overnight at 4 degrees C and, after extensive washing, bound STA was quantitated by incubation with plasminogen (final concentration 0.5 microM) for 1 h at 37 degrees C, followed by determination of generated plasmin from the absorbance at 405 nm 10 min after addition of the chromogenic substrate S-2403 (final concentration 0.3 mM). Calibration curves constructed with natural (STAN) or recombinant (STAR) STA were linear between approximately 1 and 10 nM, with a lower detection limit of < or = 1 nM in buffer and in plasma of the human, baboon or hamster. Following bolus injection of STAR in hamsters, the disposition rate of STAR activity from plasma, determined with the BIA correlated very well (r = 0.98) with that of STAR-related antigen determined by ELISA, indicating that STAR is cleared in a functionally active form. The initial half-life was about 2 min, as determined with both methods. Following continuous intravenous infusion over 1 h in baboons, the plasma clearance of STAR activity, determined from the infusion rate and the steady-state plasma level of STAR activity, ranged between 45 and 62 ml/min for doses of STAR between 0.063 and 0.250 mg/kg.