Plasma fractionation: production and properties of albumin.

The author reviews: 1. the present status of plasma fractionation with respect to the starting material, the quantitative relations of fractionation, how much plasma is fractionated and which fractions are prepared in different parts of the world; 2. the techniques applied in preparation of albumin and plasma protein fractions, with special regard to the cold-ethanol procedures and the new tendencies in the preparation of albumin; 3. the history of the albumin producton in Hungary and 4. his own experiences in fractionation of haemolytic plasma and in fractionation combined with heat-denaturation. A simple two-step modification of the cold-ethanol fractionation is described.