with a polar solvent under conditions selected to remove the factor from the sample and sample protein binding sites the factor present in the solvent can then be isolated and subsequently purified for example 1 0 ml of serum has no more than 0 01 relative mass units of the factor however after the solvent treatment according to this invention typical amounts of factor recovered from 1 0 ml of serum are close to 3 0 relative mass units or a 300 fold increase in factor more specifically in the preferred embodiment the sample is pretreated to isolate the factor protein complex typical pretreatments can include but are not limited to lyophilization heat treatment by boiling or protein precipitation by organic solvent the isolated factor containing protein is then contacted and thoroughly dispersed in a polar solvent with a dielectric constant of about 6 or greater the preferred polar solvents for use in this invention will have a high dielectric constant of about 10 or greater dielectric constants of various compounds which may be useful in this invention are given in gordon and ford the chemist 39 s companion john wiley amp sons 1972 on pages 4 18 for example polar solvents which may be used in this invention include but are not limited to methanol ethanol acetone ethyl acetate isobutanol acetic acid and isopropanol the factor is then separated from the serum sample in the preferred embodiment centrifugation is used although it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other means may.