Affinity purification of plasma proteins: characterization of six affinity matrices and their application for the isolation of human factor VIII.

For the purification of coagulation factor VIII, (1,1'-carbonyl-diimidazole [CDI]-activated) Sepharose CL-4B was functionalized with two aminoalkyl and four aminoalkyl-carbamylalkyl ligand-spacer combinations. The affinity matrices were contacted with human plasma. All affinity matrices showed complete adsorption of factor VIII (greater than 90%) and three aminoalkyl-carbamylalkyl Sepharoses gave factor-VIII recoveries of 50-65% and a factor-VIII preparation with a specific activity of 1-2 U factor VIII/mg of protein. Furthermore, no fibrinogen, immunoglobulin G and albumin could be detected in the isolated factor VIII. Optimal results were obtained using the di-methyl-aminopropyl-carbamyl-pentyl-Sepharose affinity matrix.