Thromb Haemost 1987; 57(01): 011-016
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1651052
Original Articles
Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

Indices of Fibrinogen Proteolysis and Platelet Activation During the Resolution of Pulmonary Embolism

I Yudelman
The Veterans Administration Medical Center and SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY, USA
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 18 March 1986

Accepted after revision 30 September 1986

Publication Date:
06 July 2018 (online)

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Summary

Indices of fibrinogen cleavage by thrombin (fibrinopeptide A, FPA); by plasmin (BB1-42 and serum FDP); of the platelet release reaction (betathromboglobulin and platelet factor 4); and antithrombin III (AT III) levels were measured serially in 46 patients with pulmonary emboli in whom either substantial (SR) or impaired (IR) resolution was documented. The mean FPA level in the 25 patients with IR was significantly higher than the level in the 21 patients with SR (p <0.01). The increased thrombin activity in the IR group was not due to AT III deficiency or increased platelet reactivity but the elevated FPA levels in the presence of therapeutic levels of anticoagulation indicated that the dose of heparin was inadequate. The higher BB1-42 and FDP levels in this group reflected the increased plasmin activity that follows increased thrombin activity. In a multivariate discriminant analysis, only the FPA data could be used to predict the degree of resolution.

Increased thrombin action impairs resolution presumably by producing greater amounts of accreted fibrin on the impacted embolus.

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