Measurement of maximum thrombin generation capacity in blood and plasma using the thrombin generation assay (THROGA).
Diagnosis of a hyper- or hypocoagulable state has been very difficult. The first attempt to solve this problem was the method of endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) by Hemker. In ETP, activators and a chromogenic substrate are added to diluted plasma samples and the thrombin generation is measured. By analysis of acquired data, three characteristics of ETP are seen: lag phase, peak thrombin, and velocity index. ETP is not suited for exact determination of maximum activated thrombin. Therefore, a new method was developed: the thrombin generation assay (THROGA). With the use of THROGA, the maximum generated thrombin in a blood or plasma sample can be measured easily. The background of the method is the addition of a certain amount of recombinant hirudin (r-hirudin) to the blood or plasma sample. After activation, the generated thrombin is bound quantitatively and neutralized by r-hirudin so that at the end of the activation phase the amount of generated thrombin can be determined easily and exactly by measurement of residual r-hirudin in the sample.
Nowak
Götz
G
Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Medical Faculty, Research Group Pharmacological Haemostaseology, Drackendorfer Strasse 1, D-07747 Jena, Germany.
Lange
Ute
U
Wiesenburg
Annett
A
Bucha
Elke
E
D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D006629:Hirudins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D010949:Plasma / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D013917:Thrombin / Q000032:analysis*
D006629:Hirudins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013917:Thrombin