Fibrinogen Manchester: identification of an abnormal fibrinopeptide A with a C-terminal arginine leads to histidine substitution.

Purified samples of fibrinogen Manchester, a congenital dysfibrinogenaemia with impaired fibrinopeptide A (FPA) release, were digested with thrombin. Amino acid sequencing of the fibrin showed that FPA had been completely released. High performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of the clot supernatant showed the presence of a new peptide eluting ahead of the normal FPA. The amino acid composition and sequence of the new peptide established its identity as a variant of FPA containing histidine in position 16 instead of the usual arginine. The chromatograms from both siblings with the defect demonstrated that they were heterozygous for this clotting defect.