Elevated levels of thrombin-heparin cofactor II complex in plasma from patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation.
An ELISA assay for quantitation of the thrombin-heparin cofactor II complex (T-HC II) in plasma was developed. Plasma was incubated with immobilized, specific antibodies to human thrombin. The second, biotinylated antibody was directed against human HC II. The assay was insensitive to thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) and to uncomplexed HC II. In plasma samples from 31 normal individuals (aged 21-68, mean 43.3 years), the T-HC II ranged 0.3-6.1 ng/ml; median 1.5, mean 2.0, and SD 1.6 ng/ml. In plasma samples from 13 patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), T-HC II ranged 0.4-30.0 (median 13.5) ng/ml. In plasma samples from 6 patients in which the clinical suspicion of DIC was not verified, T-HC II complex ranged 1.4-14.3 (median 3.6) ng/ml. In plasma samples with elevated T-HC II levels, TAT was usually elevated, and on the average more than was T-HC II. These results indicate that HC II contributes significantly to the inactivation of in vivo generated thrombin.
Andersson
T R
TR
Haematological Research Laboratory, Aker Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Sie
P
P
Pelzer
H
H
Aamodt
L M
LM
Nustad
K
K
Abildgaard
U
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015844:Heparin Cofactor II / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007239:Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D013917:Thrombin / Q000032:analysis*
C046193:antithrombin III-protease complex; D015844:Heparin Cofactor II; D000990:Antithrombin III; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D013917:Thrombin