Abstract: Methods and products for the treatment of a disorder characterized by the cleavage of a C-terminal lysine or arginine from an intact peptide are provided. In the methods of the invention a peptide that inhibits the activation of thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is administered in an effective amount and in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier to a subject having a disorder characterized by the cleavage of a C-terminal lysine or arginine from an intact peptide. The compositions are pharmaceutical compositions of peptides that inhibit the activation of TAFI. Also provided is a monoclonal antibody that binds TAFI zymogen but that does not bind to active TAFI and inhibits the activation of TAFI.

Abstract: An isolated polynucleotide which encodes human prothrombin is modified to encode amino acid substitutions at positions 155, 271 and 284 of the prothrombin polypeptide. A second polynucleotide is further modified to encode an additional amino acid substitution at residue 320.The polypeptide encoded by the first polynucleotide is resistant to cleavage by thrombin and factor Xa, exhibits greatly reduced procoagulant activity towards fibrinogen and unchanged anticoagulant activity towards protein C. The polypeptide can be cleaved between amino acid positions 320 and 321 to produce an active serine protease which can activate protein C, thereby inhibiting coagulation and stimulating activated protein C fibrinolytic activity.The polypeptide encoded by the second polynucleotide cannot be cleaved, mimics inactive prothrombin and thereby acts as a reversible inhibitor of coagulation by competing with Factor Xa and Factor Va for interaction at the phospholipid surface.

Abstract: A method for assaying body fluid samples containing heparin and a diagnostic kit are described. Since the reactions go to completion, timing of the assay is not required. The sample is mixed with a heparin-dependent protease inhibitor and either a heparin-independent irreversible inhibitor or a protease substrate. The coagulation enzyme (protease) is then added in a limiting quantity and it either distributes between the heparin-dependent inhibitor and the heparin-indepedent irreversible inhibitor, or the heparin-dependent inhibitor and the protease substrate. The distribution pattern of complex formation of the protease with the two inhibitors or the level of product of the protease-catalyzed hydrolysis of the substrate are used as measures of the heparin activity. The irreversible inhibitor is a peptidyl chloromethyl ketone and the substrate is a synthetic chromogenic or fluorogenic compound that produces a readily measured signal.