A protease-like permeability factor in guinea pig skin: immunologic identity with plasma Hageman factor.

Vascular permeability enhancement activity of the protease-like permeability factor derived from guinea pig skin and of active guinea pig Hageman factor (beta HFa) were both inhibited by anti-guinea pig Hageman factor rabbit F(ab')2 antibody. The permeability activity of both factors was also absorbed on anti-Hageman factor F(ab')2-Sepharose beads. The latent form of the permeability factor derived from skin extracts produced a single immunoprecipitation line with anti-Hageman factor and gave a reaction of identity with a precipitation band developing between purified Hageman factor and anti-Hageman factor. The latent permeability factor in the fraction corrected the clotting activity of Hageman-factor-deficient human plasma. The clotting activity was also blocked by anti-Hageman factor F(ab')2 antibody. From these results, it was concluded that the skin permeability factor was immunologically and functionally indistinguishable from Hageman factor of plasma. Extracts were obtained from skin of guinea pigs given intravenous injections of 125I-guinea pig Hageman factor immediately before sacrifice to calculate the amount of Hageman factor in the extravascular tissue space of the skin. The pseudoglobulin fractions of the extracts containing a concentration of Hageman factor of approximately 9 microgram of Hageman factor per gram of skin. This was determined both by immunologic means and procoagulant activity. Only 4% of the Hageman factor in the extract was obtained from the intravascular plasma volume of the skin.