Preparation and evaluation of an antiserum to the carboxymethylated Aalpha chain of human fibrinogen.

Antiserum to the carboxymethylated Aalpha chain of human fibrinogen has been produced in rabbits and its reactions investigated in a double diffusion system. The antiserum reacts with the carboxymethylated Aalpha chains, but not with carboxymethylated gamma chains, nor with carboxymethylated Bbeta chains, provided that the antiserum had been absorbed with carboxymethylated Bbeta chains. The antiserum also reacts with Aalpha chains in the whole fibrinogen molecule, either in plasma or in the purified form, and spur formation was observed when intact fibrinogen was compared with high solubility fibrinogen, which contained little or no intact Aalpha chain.