In order to assess the hemostatic system activation in infectious disease, plasma levels of thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), plasmin-α2-plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC) and D-dimer were measured together with antithrombin III, protein C and von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF: Ag) in 65 patients with various infection without a sign of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Plasma levels of TAT, PIC, D-dimer and vWF: Ag were elevated, and protein C but not antithrombin III decreased. The magnitude of elevation of TAT, PIC and D-dimer were not directly correlated with CRP. The protein C levels tended to correlate negatively with CRP. Although there was a positive correlation between antithrombin III and protein C, protein C seemed to decrease more easily than antithrombin III. Levels of D-dimer changed in parallel with the DIC score and D-dimer may be useful to predict the pre-DIC states in these patients.
