May act as a carrier of hyaluronan in serum or as a binding protein between hyaluronan and other matrix protein, including those on cell surfaces in tissues to regulate the localization, synthesis and degradation of hyaluronan which are essential to cells undergoing biological processes. I-alpha-I plasma protease inhibitors are assembled from one or two heavy chains (H1, H2 or H3) and one light chain, bikunin. Inter-alpha-inhibitor (I-alpha-I) is composed of H1, H2 and bikunin, inter-alpha-like inhibitor (I-alpha-LI) of H2 and bikunin, and pre-alpha-inhibitor (P-alpha-I) of H3 and bikunin (By similarity). Belongs to the ITIH family.