Product News: Diagnostica Stago Offers Three Factor VII Detection Methods

Diagnostica Stago, Inc. has announced a range of products for clinical research involving factor VII (FVII). All of the methods below utilize citrated plasma, and provide researchers with additional tools to investigate FVII biology, structure and function.

Factor VII is a zymogen that, upon activation to its active form factor VIIa (FVIIa), together with Tissue Factor (TF), comprises the first step in the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation leading to thrombin formation and subsequent formation of the fibrin clot. Fibrin clot formation is critical for normal hemostasis to occur.

Investigations into FVII biology have been performed previously for investigations into hypercoagulability as a result of hematological neoplasia, combined hyperlipidemia, cancer associated thrombosis or FVII hyperactivity as a function of age. In addition, FVII function has been investigated in hypocoagulable states as a result of underlying conditions such as liver dysfunction, or FVII congenital or acquired deficiency.

Staclot^® VIIa-rTF (catalog #00281) is a kit for plasma analysis of circulating FVIIa using a clotting method. This unique product is a tool for research studies where the determination of FVIIa levels may be useful due to the fact that it reflects coagulation activation as a result of in vivo FVIIa production.

Asserachrom^® VII:Ag (catalog #00241) is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that determines the antigen level of factor VII in plasma samples.

Asserachrom^® VIIa-AT (catalog #00491) is a new kit for the analysis of plasma circulating factor VIIa-Antithrombin (FVIIa-AT) complex levels by the ELISA method, and can be run on any plate reader reporting absorbance at 450 nm. This first of its kind product is useful for examination of FVIIa-AT levels, which has been recognized in the literature as a surrogate marker for the extent of tissue factor (TF) exposure to plasma as a result of coagulation activation in prothrombotic disease states such as arterial and venous thrombosis. Unlike the FVIIa-TFPI complex, which stays bound to the endothelium, FVIIa-AT is present in the blood upon physiological coagulation activation, making it a useful surrogate marker for this phenomenon.

All three factor VII detection methods described are labeled for research use only (not for use in diagnostic procedures) in the US and Canada.