title: Plasma beta-thromboglobulin in severe infection.
abstract: The plasma concentration of beta-thromboglobulin was serially measured in nine patients with septicemia, ten patients with pneumonia and five thrombo- and granulocytopenic patients with acute leukemia. Six patients with septicemia out of the eight studied on days 1-3 and all eight patients studied 7-14 days after onset had an abnormal high beta-thromboglobulin level. One patient with pneumonia out of six studied on days 1-3 and six out of nine studied on 7-14 days after onset had an abnormal high value. A rising trend in plasma beta-thromboglobulin with the highest mean levels at one to two weeks after onset was common to both groups. Positive ethanol gelation, increased level of fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products, decreased antithrombin III, increased FVIII complex and disproportionate ratio of FVIII:C to FVIIIR:Ag were common in both groups in the early stages of the disease. All the five patients with leukemia had a lower than normal beta-thromboglobulin level throughout the study but showed in the coagulation parameters changes similar to those observed in the other groups. Judging from the commonness of abnormal beta-thromboglobulin values in the two first patient groups, low grade platelet activation is a normal response in severe infection.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000378:metabolism; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D001609:Beta-Globulins / Q000032:analysis*; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin / Q000032:analysis*; D014841:von Willebrand Factor
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D001609:Beta-Globulins; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D000990:Antithrombin III; D005169:Factor VIII; D005340:Fibrinogen