Characterization of a new potent heparin. 5th Communication: Further characterization by affinity chromatography on antithrombin-sepharose and its comparison with a commercially available heparin.

A highly potent heparin (Heparin Schering) was characterized in comparison to commercial heparin by affinity chromatography on antithrombin-III-sepharose. Heparin Schering consists of 83% high affinity and 17% low affinity fractions, whereas commercial heparin contained only 40% high affinity heparin and 60% low affinity heparin. The specific biological activities per microgram uronic acid and elution pattern on antithrombin-sepharose of high affinity heparin fraction were similar for both heparin preparations. It is concluded that the 2 times more potent anticoagulant activity of heparin Schering is mainly due to the enrichment of high affinity fraction (83%), which is also present in commercial heparin but at a remarkably lower percentage (40%).