Summary
The fibrinogen, plasma antithrombin, and thrombin activity curves of twenty-four normal individuals were determined under carefully controlled conditions of analysis. From these determinations plasma prothrombin and thromboplastic activities were calculated. These activities were defined in kinetic terminology and a theoretical rate of fibrination in plasma was calculated and used as a basis for comparing plasmas. Compensatory relationships were found among the various activities. Thus, low values of thromboplastic activity were associated with increased concentrations of prothrombin and fibrinogen; the effect of the latter activities in increasing the potential of plasma for fibrination was moderated by an increase in antithrombin activity.
The fibrin-forming potential of each plasma was calculated relative to the mean value for all plasmas, to furnish a fibrinotic index. The latter was relatively constant in spite of wide variations in discrete activities, indicating that a physiological balance is maintained among those coagulation factors responsible for fibrination.
