Von Willebrand factor fragment in type IIA von Willebrand's disease: demonstration of two different forms of fragments.

A fast-migrating precipitin peak which showed a reaction of partial immunochemical identity with the major von Willebrand factor (vWf) component was detected by crossed immunoelectrophoresis in agarose gel in plasma but not in platelets from a patient with type IIA von Willebrand's disease (vWD). Another patient undergoing urokinase therapy had a vWf fragment in plasma which was antigenically cross-reactive with the major vWf component. When plasma from both patients was mixed and electrophoresed together in the first dimension, two fast-moving precipitin arcs were demonstrated in the second dimension. These data indicate that two different kinds of vWf fragments can be generated in vivo.