Summary20 coagulation parameters were investigated in 144 patients with different liver diseases. The groups of acute hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis and liver cirrhosis were compared and the prognostic value of the coagulation analyses investigated. It is clear that the determination of the factor V activity is a good and easy test for detection of actual liver function. Repeated controls over several weeks revealed with a statistical significance (p <0.0005) that all patients with a factor XIII below 35& and a plasminogen below 19& will die in liver coma, if they have not died beforehand from acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage, acute infection or cardiac arrest.Plasminogen is also lower in the group of non-survivors but the values of the two groups are overlapping and of no prognostic help in a single case. The possible causes of the diminution of factor XIII activity are discussed.

SummaryAs part of a European multicentre prospective study involving the measurement of a number of haemostatic factors, a quality assessment (QA) scheme was organized. This paper describes the preparation, design and results of the first Qa exercise, involving 16 European laboratories and 10 haemostatic assays. The design allowed the investigation, for each assay, of the variability between duplicates and the variability between days within each centre, and of the agreement between centres. A graphical presentation of each centre’s performance in comparison to that of others was adopted, which preserved the confidentiality of each centre’s results. The factor VIII clotting activity assay (VIII: C) and the rocket immuno-electrophoresis assays of von Willebrand factor related antigen (vWF R:Ag), antithrombin III, protein C and histidine-rich glycoprotein showed the highest betweenduplicate and between-day coefficients of variation (CVs), whereas the clotting assays of activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen had the lowest CVs. CVs for the enzymatic assays using synthetic substrates of antithrombin III, plasminogen and alpha-2-antiplasmin were between these extremes. The between-centre CVs were high for both the VIII:C and vWFR:Ag assays. The QA exercise showed that, in multicentre studies involving the measurement of haemostatic factors, it is feasible to undertake analysis locally at each centre.

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SummaryAssuming 1 U/ml in titrated plasma, the VIII: CAg concentration was found 1.66 U/ml in EDTA-plasma, 1.09 U/ml in heparinized plasma and 0.67 U/ml in serum. Addition of 10 mmol/1 EDTA to titrated and heparinized plasmas increased VIII: CAg 1.5fold. There was no increase of VIII: CAg in serum. Gel filtration of plasmas on different anticoagulants showed an elution of VIII: CAg in the void volume Vo and in the later fractions. The VIII: CAg amount detected in the internal volume increased following the series heparin < citrate < EDTA. Serum VIII: CAg was eluted at 2.2 Vo. Presence of EDTA in the elution buffer or incubation of plasma with EDTA prior to chromatography caused a displacement of practically all VIII: CAg amount in the internal volume with a peak at 2.2-2.3 Vo. VIIIR: Ag was exclusively detected in the void volume.Removal of divalent cation by chelation likely exposes more antigenic determinants of VIII: CAg, which are otherwise masked by steric hindrance due to VIIIR: Ag in citrated and heparinized milieu. Moreover gel filtration of plasma in the presence of EDTA completely dissociates VIII: CAg from VIIIR :Ag. The VIII: CAg fragment, having an estimated molecular weight of 70,000, might also be present in serum.