Anti-inflammatory activity in human plasma

Abstract

Abstract Pooled human plasma contains a fraction, separable by ultrafiltration and column chromatography, which possesses anti-inflammatory activity in the carrageenan oedema test in the rat, may be partially purified by solvent extraction, has an apparent molecular weight below 1000, and is resistant to acid and proteolytic digestion. A substance showing experimental anti-inflammatory activity has been isolated from human serum (McArthur, Smith & Freeman, 1972). The present paper describes a much simpler preparation of this material from pooled human plasma, its partial purification by extraction with acetone and ethanol, its ultrafiltration through several membranes, and its resistance to acidic, proteolytic and thermal degradation. A preliminary account of part of this work has been published (Elliott, Ford-Hutchinson & others, 1973).