The effect of the plasma proteins upon the sedimentation rate of human blood

Abstract

The proteins from normal plasma were separated into 9 fractions, and the rate of fall of a 20% vol. of erythrocytes in 3% solns. of the proteins during 1 hr. ranged from 100 mm. for fibrinogen to 1.5 mm. for total albumin. The fractions were combined in equal amts. using 39 pairs. The action" of the "faster" fractions, fibrinogen and euglobulin, is inhibited by the "slow" nucleoprotein and globoglycoid. Artificial pathological plasmas built up from these fractions gave sedimentation rates similar to those for the comparable natural material. With artificial tuberculous plasma it was found that by altering only the component globulin fractions, the sedimentation rate could be changed from 94-26 mm.; and with artificial nephritic blood, substitution of total albumin by crystalbumin altered the rate from 15-145 mm., while substitution of the total albumin by globoglycoid changed it from 15-1 mm.