Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the detection of the presence of an allergy and for the specific detection of the allergen responsible for the allergy, based on the cellular principle, wherein leukocytes of a sample to be investigated are incubated with an allergen or another stimulation factor of degranulation, such as anti-IgE, in an aqueous medium, the leukocytes are then separated off and the remaining solution is incubated with a compound of the general formula:Y--X--Cin which Y is an amino acid or a peptide containing 2 or 3 amino acids, the amino acids optionally carrying a conventional protective group on the amino end, X is arginine or lysine and C is a chromogenic residue, in the presence of a buffer effective at pH 6.3 to 8.0 and the liberation of the chromogenic residue is measured.

Abstract: For the determination of antithrombin-BM an antithrombin-BM-cofactor, thrombin and a determinable thrombin substrate are added to a sample solution and the splitting of the thrombin substrate is determined as a measure for the antithrombin-BM activity, whereby heparin, xylan, .lambda.-carrageenan, dextran sulphate, mucopolysaccharide polysulphuric acid esters, pentosan polysulphates or short-chained heparin derivatives produced by the chemical or enzymatic splitting of heparin are used as cofactors.

Abstract: The present invention provides endoproteinase-Lys-C from bacteria, consisting of a chain of molecular weight 35000 to 38000 Dalton, having a pH optimum at pH 7.7 and being inhibited by aprotinin but not being inhibited by alpha.sub.2 -macroglobulin, .alpha..sub.1 -antitrypsin and ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid.The present invention also provides a process for obtaining this enzyme, wherein a culture broth of an appropriate bacterial strain which has been filtered or pre-purified by usual methods is chromatographed over carrier-fixed alpha.sub.2 -macroglobulin-metal complex and the enzyme is obtained from the filtrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the selective separation of endoproteases from aqueous solutions, wherein an aqueous solution containing proteases is treated with a complex, present in the solid phase, of alpha.sub.2 -macroglobulin with a divalent metal selected from zinc, cobalt, nickel and copper and the solid phase then separated off.The present invention also provides an agent for carrying out this process, wherein it comprises a solid carrier material which is loaded with a complex of alpha.sub.2 -macroglobulin and of a divalent metal selected from zinc, cobalt, nickel and copper.

Abstract: Thrombin inhibitor comprising a glycoprotein of a molecular weight of 68,000 to 69,000 Dalton and an isoelectric point of pH 4.5, and is further characterized in that it inhibits thrombin in the presence of dextran sulfate at least twice as strongly as in the presence of heparin, differs immunologically from antithrombin III, and does not inhibit factor Xa, plasmin and trypsin.

Abstract: A control reagent for heparin activity determination comprising20 to 1500 USP heparin,2000 to 30000 IU antithrombin III,0.15 to 1.5 millimoles serum albumin,0.005 to 0.05 mole ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid sodium salt,0 to 0.4 mole saccharose,2000 to 20000 U aprotinin, andbuffer substance, pH 6.5 to 7.5,per liter of control reagent solution.