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Three monoclonal antibodies to alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor (alpha 2PI) were characterized. The first, JTPI-1, was directed against the reative site of alpha 2PI and inhibited antiplasmin activity by interfering with the formation of alpha 2PI-plasmin complexes. The avidity of JTPI- 1 to the preformed alpha 2PI-plasmin complex was markedly lower than that to free alpha 2PI, which made this antibody useful for measuring the free alpha 2PI in plasma. The second, JTPI-2, recognized an epitope in the C-terminal fragment of alpha 2PI (11,000 daltons [11 K]) that was cleaved from alpha 2PI by plasmin upon complex formation but remained noncovalently attached to the complex. However, binding of JTPI-2 to alpha 2PI was not inhibited by the C-terminal 26-residue peptide containing the plasminogen-binding site and had no effect on the function of alpha 2PI. These data suggested that JTPI-2 recognized an epitope between the C-terminal 26-residue peptide and the reactive site. The third, JTPI-3, bound the alpha 2PI-plasmin complex (150 K) as well as alpha 2PI. Binding was inhibited by the N-terminal 12-residue peptide of alpha 2PI, but factor XIII-catalyzed cross-linking of alpha 2PI to fibrin was not inhibited by JTPI-3. These results suggested that the antibody recognized an epitope near the N terminus. These three monoclonal antibodies were useful for analyzing the mechanism of interaction between alpha 2PI and plasmin.

A new type of filter for charged particle radiotherapy is developed to reduce unwanted dose transfer to the normal tissues around a tumor. The new filter can make a static irradiation field where the width of the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) is two-dimensionally adjusted. That makes the field conformal to the tumor three-dimensionally. The filter is made of many layers produced by using stereolithography. The layer has a miniaturized structure that has geometrical similarity to the conventional ridge filter. Shapes of cone and pyramid are also usable for the unit-cell constructing the layer. The spread of the field in the depth direction is decided by the thickness of the filter, or by the number of layers. The experimental result of the irradiation using the ridge-type construction shows a good agreement with an estimate by the Monte Carlo calculation. By combining this technique with intensity modulation that has lateral position dependence, the conformal irradiation can be achieved by a simple procedure.