Contaminated heparin associated with adverse clinical events and activation of the contact system.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There is an urgent need to determine whether oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS), a compound contaminating heparin supplies worldwide, is the cause of the severe anaphylactoid reactions that have occurred after intravenous heparin administration in the United States and Germany.

Methods

Heparin procured from the Food and Drug Administration, consisting of suspect lots of heparin associated with the clinical events as well as control lots of heparin, were screened in a blinded fashion both for the presence of OSCS and for any biologic activity that could potentially link the contaminant to the observed clinical adverse events. In vitro assays for the activation of the contact system and the complement cascade were performed. In addition, the ability of OSCS to

SUBMITTER: Kishimoto TK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3778681 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature