Starch Block Electrophoresis of Plasma and Serum Clotting Factors. Separation of Activated PTC (PTC’)

1. Plasma clotting factors separate into two groups on starch block electrophoresis. The contact activation factors—Hageman factor, PTA, and activated PTA—remain around the origin, whereas the vitamin K-dependent factors— prothrombin, proconvertin, Stuart factor, and PTC—migrate between the α-globulins and albumin. AHG, proaccelerin, and thrombin are not recovered.

2. The electrophoretic pattern of serum differs from that of plasma mainly in the absence of prothrombin and in the presence of activated PTC (PTC’).

3. The electrophoretic mobility of PTC’ is found to differ from that of native PTC. This difference may be exploited to separate PTC’ from its native form and from Stuart factor.