Protein C
C0034 A simplified assay for quantification of circulating activated protein C levels

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Background

Activated protein C (APC) is an enzyme with anticoagulant and cytoprotective functions. Accumulative data suggest that the number of situations in which in vivo circulating APC will need to be measured will increase over the next few years. Therefore, the availability of a rapid, sensitive and simple assay for quantifying circulating APC is crucial. Available assays are difficult to apply in routine laboratory. Our previously reported assay required an excessive pre-analytical handling: drawing

Methods

We measured APC levels, with both methods, in 125 plasma samples, 69 from patients with venous thrombosis (VT) and 56 from healthy controls.

Results

The mean APC level in the 125 samples was 1.06 ± 0.46 ng/ml (method A) and 2.21 ± 0.85 ng/ml (method B). The coefficient of correlation between both methods was r = 0.849 (P < 0.001). The mean APC level in the 69 VT patients wase 0.84 ± 0.38 (method A) and 1.80 ± 0.67 (method B), significantly lower (as previously reported) than those in the 56 controls, 1.33 ± 0.39 and 2.72 ± 0.79, respectively, (P < 0.001). In both groups there was a significant correlation between the levels obtained by the two methods (VT, r = 

Comment

These results show that both assays are equivalent, and confirm that the APC level is lower in VT patients than in healthy individuals. Therefore, the new simplified assay, which measures the sum of circulating free APC and APC complexed to PCI, may be used to estimate the level of circulating APC, and will allow its use in routine laboratories. (FIS PS09/00610, RECAVA RD06/0014/0004, Prometeo/2011/027, y Fundación para la Investigación Hospital La Fe; Pilar Medina is a Miguel Servet

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