title: Plasmin generation and D-dimer formation during cardiopulmonary bypass.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to estimate the in vivo rates of plasmin and D-dimer generation for comparison with the rate of fibrin formation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), a procedure known to induce a hyperfibrinolytic state. Plasmin and D-dimer generation rates were based on measured levels of antiplasmin, plasmin-antiplasmin complex and D-dimer obtained before, during and after CPB from nine males, combined with a computer model of each patient's vascular system that continuously accounted for secretion, clearance, hemodilution, blood loss and transfusion. At baseline the average plasmin and D-dimer generation rates were 0.27 +/- 0.07 and 0.18 +/- 0.07 pmol/s, respectively. Within 5 min of CPB initiation, plasmin generation increased over 100-fold to 36 +/- 40 pmol/s while D-dimer generation increased 200-fold to 37 +/- 39 pmol/s. For the remainder of the CPB, average plasmin and D-dimer generation remained 20-fold to 30-fold above baseline levels. During CPB, the rate of D-dimer generation was similar to the rate of total fibrin formation, indicating that, in the absence of fibrinolytic inhibitors, CPB induces plasmin-mediated removal of fibrin from the vascular system at a rate similar to the rate of fibrin formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98104, USA. wlc@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Wayne L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chandler
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Velan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D005337:Fibrin / Q000378:metabolism; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000032:analysis*; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D006438:Hemodilution; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D005337:Fibrin; D005341:Fibrinolysin