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An electroblotting technique for the detection of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor multimers in plasma
Author(s) -
Furlong B. L.,
Peake I. R.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1983.tb07315.x
Subject(s) - electroblotting , nitrocellulose , chemistry , von willebrand factor , antibody , agarose , electrophoresis , von willebrand disease , incubation , chromatography , immunoelectrophoresis , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , membrane , immunology , platelet , medicine , biology
S ummary . A new, relatively simple technique has been developed in order to study the multimers of factor VIII/von Willebrand factor (VIII/vWF). It involves electrophoresis on SDS agarose gels and electrophoretic transfer (electroblotting) of the separated protein bands onto nitrocellulose membranes, to which they are non‐covalently bound. VIII/vWF multimers are then detected by 125 I‐labelled antibodies to VIII/vWF, and autoradiography. Optimum electrophoretic transfer occurred at 0·5 A, for 18 h, on 0·8% agarose gels, thus enabling detection of the multimeric profile of VIII/vWF in 5 μl of normal plasma. The multimeric profile for haemophilia A patients was identical to that for normal plasma. In plasma from patients with von Willebrand's disease (vWd), various patterns were seen, with a preponderance of smaller multimers in type II (atypical) vWd, similar to those seen in cryosupernatant. Heterogeneity within a particular type of vWd was also evident. Investigation of commercial factor VIII concentrates showed the presence of ‘doublets’ of VIII/vWF. Unlike other reported techniques, the rapid transfer and fixing of the protein bands to the nitrocellulose, minimizes loss of resolution, and handling of the paper is easier. It is possible to cut a sample electrophoresis strip into several areas, for incubation with different antibodies. Preliminary experiments also suggest that double antibody techniques are possible, or even removal of a first radiolabeled antibody by low pH, and then incubation of the separated proteins with a second, unrelated antibody.