Abstract
It has recently been shown by Fletcher and co-workers that circulating high molecular weight fibrinogen complexes are a most sensitive marker for detecting intravascular fibrin formation.
In the present investigation, circulating high molecular weight fibrinogen complexes were detected by gel chromatography of plasma and staphylococcal clumping test in 66 patients with various liver diseases. In normal adults, plasma high molecular weight fibrinogen complexes were lower than 0.5μg/ml.
In patients with liver diseases, the concentration of high molecular weight fibrinogen complexes in plasma elevated frequently.
Especially in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis and hepatoma, the concentration of high molecular weight fibrinogen complexes elevated in most cases.
In patients with acute hepatitis, plasma high molecular weight fibrinogen complexes increased later than the elevation of GPT in serum.
Plasma high molecular weight fibrinogen complexes in patients with liver cirrhosis decreased markedly by administration of heparin.
From these results, it was suggested that subclinical intravascular coagulation exists frequently in patients with liver diseases.
