title: The recalcified coagulation activity.
abstract: Thrombin activity generated after plasma recalcification is of analytical and clinical interest. Fifty microliters of citrated plasma was recalcified with 5 microL of 250 mM CaCl( 2). After 0 to 90 minutes (37 degrees C) 50 microl 2.5 M arginine, pH 8.6, was added. After 20 minutes, thrombin was chromogenically quantified. In normal recalcified plasma, the generated thrombin activity is about 0.1-0.2 IU/ml (37 degrees C) when fibrin generation starts. Pooling of normal plasmas increases the generated thrombin activity about 3-fold. Plasmas of patients on heparin or coumarin generate about 10-fold less thrombin activity. Freezing of pooled plasma at -20 degrees C and thawing at room temperature or 37 degrees C increases thrombin generation approximately 1.5- or 2-fold, respectively. Only thrombin activities in the ascending part of the thrombin generation curve (RECA-t(2)/RECAt( 1)>1) are valid. So a prothrombotic state in blood or plasma can be diagnosed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital, Marburg, Germany. thstief@med.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Stief
mesh_terms: D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests / Q000379:methods*; D002122:Calcium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005615:Freezing; D006801:Humans; D013696:Temperature; D013917:Thrombin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D013917:Thrombin; D002122:Calcium Chloride