Contact activation factors in plasma from pregnant women--increased level of an association between factor XII and kallikrein.

The plasma levels of FXII, prekallikrein (PK), and high- and low molecular weight kininogens (HK and LK) were studied in pregnant women in the last trimester and in non-pregnant controls. FXIIa and plasma kallikrein were assayed in acetone-treated citrated plasma (CPLa) with the tetrapeptide S-2222 as substrate, using soybean trypsin inhibitor and corn inhibitor to exclude kallikrein and FXIIa respectively. No difference in PK-level could be registered for the two kinds of plasma, but the level of FXII had increased to about 150% in the pregnancy plasma. No difference in HK-level was observed, whereas the LK-level was significantly higher in pregnancy plasma, about 250% and 160% in rocket immunoassay and bioassay respectively. In fractions from gel filtration of plasma acetone-activated in the presence of benzamidine (BPLa), kallikrein was assayed as S-2302 amidase, HK and LK were measured in rocket immunoassay, and HK and FXII were studied in PAGE immunoblot experiments. In contrast to previous results obtained upon gel filtration of CPLa, not only kallikrein and HK, but in addition also FXII now appeared together in the same fractions and as two separate peaks. One peak eluting in early fractions (gel mol. wt. 300-400 KD), and one late eluting peak of proteins adsorbed to the gel material. The first peak was notably marked in pregnancy plasma. The results provide support for the assumption of an association in plasma between the three contact activation factors studied.