Abstract
Factor XIII activities of 36 patients with hepatic disease, i. e. cirrhosis (18 cases), chronic hepatitis (10), acute hepatitis (6 including those in the recovery stage) and obstructive jaundice (2), were estimated by the quantitative test using anti-Factor XIII serum. Also relationship of level between Factor XIII and some such factors as the following was studied in hepatic diseases described above: platelet, fibrinogen, FDP and various substances for liver function tests.
Most cases of cirrhosis and chronic and acute hepatitis revealed low levels of the Factor XIII activity, but 2 of obstructive jaundice showed high activities of the factor.
A positive correlation was roughly present between the Factor XIII activity and platelet count, suggesting some relation of the platelet content to the factor in study or possible effect of the defibrination syndrome, the existence of which in hepatic disease has affirmatively been presumed in these years.
Contrary to expectation, however, correlation was little between the Factor XIII activity and fibrinoeng or FDP levels.
Among liver function tests, positive and negative correlations were seen of the activity in question respectiivly to cholinesterase and ICG, though both slightly. As the two tests are primarily concerned with indication of hepatic cellular disorder, the role of the liver in Factor XIII production may be anticipated from these results, to a certain degree.
Factor XIII activities fluctuated more or less according to cases along with their clinical courses.
