Abstract
Concentrations of antithrombin III (AT-III) in plasma in 20 healthy subjects and in 43 patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) were determined simultaneously using synthetic chromogenic substrate (Tos-Gly-Pro-Arg-pNA), single radial immunodiffusion method and latex agglutination method, which is based on observation of agglutination of latex particles coated with anti-AT-III-serum.
Levels of AT-III in plasma markedly decreased in cases of DIC.
A statistically significant positive correlation between values of AT-III, measured using three different methods in the same plasma samples from normal subjects and patients with DIC, was observed. Correlation coefficient between values obtained using amidolytic method and single radial immunodiffusion method was +0.94 (p<0.001).
Activity to antigenicity ratio was slightly lower in cases of DIC than in healthy subjects, although the difference was not statistically significant. Abnormalities in pattern of two-dimensional electrophoresis of plasma AT-III were observed in some cases of DIC.
From these results, it was concluded that antithrombin activity and antigenicity of AT-III in plasma were generally correleted well in healthy subjects and cases of DIC.
