Description
Heparin Cofactor II (HCII), also known as heparin cofactor A and dermatan sulphate cofactor, is a single chain glycoprotein produced in the liver and circulates in plasma at concentration of 50-100 µg/ml (0.8-1.5 µM). A member of the SERPIN family of proteinase inhibitors, HCII exhibits a relatively narrow specificity and is only known to inhibit the serine proteinases thrombin and chymotrypsin. The inhibitory activity toward thrombin is accelerated up to 1000-fold in the presence of optimal concentrations of heparin. Unlike Antithrombin, thrombin inhibition by HCII is also enhanced by dermatan sulphate. HCII has an apparent molecular weight of 65,600 daltons and interaction with thrombin results in a covalent 1:1 enzyme-inhibitor complex of 102,600 daltons