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Clinical and laboratory features were evaluated in 48 patients with lupus anticoagulants and the efficiency of three different assays in the detection of lupus anticoagulants was compared. The diagnosis of lupus anticoagulants was based on a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin test not corrected in a mixture of 1:1 with normal plasma and lack of specific inhibitors against coagulation factors. Platelet neutralization procedure was positive for lupus anticoagulants in 98% of the patients, tissue thromboplastin inhibition ratio in 79%, and kaolin clotting time index in 77%. At least one of the assays was positive in 100% of the cases. The largest minority of the patients (31%) suffered from systemic lupus erythematosus. The others had a variety of non‐immunological disorders. In the 13 patients who had been operated on, only 1 with renal failure developed hemorrhagic complications after renal biopsy due to thrombocytopathy. The incidence of recurrent spontaneous miscarriage, immune thrombocytopenia and positive direct antiglobulin test, anti‐nuclear and anti‐DNA antibodies and VDRL was significantly higher in patients with lupus anticoagulants and systemic lupus erythematosus compared to patients with lupus anticoagulants but without systemic lupus erythematosus.

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The extract from the venom sac of Vespa orientalis (VSE) inactivates exogenous and endogenous thromboplastin (Joshua and Ishay, Toxicon, 13:11-20,1975). The prolongation of both prothrombin time (PT) and recalcification time suggests inactivation of other factors. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of VSE on clotting factors. A lyophilized VSE with protein concentration of 5 mg/ml was used. Studies were performed in vitro with human plasma and in vivo in cats. Routine methods were employed for the assay of PT, activated tissue thromboplastin (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), fibrinogen and factors V,VII,VIII,IX,X. Human plasma was incubated with various concentrations of VSE (0,1,5,10,50,100 μg/ml) for 60 min and for various incubation times (0,5,15,30,+ 60,90,120 min) with 50 μg/ml VSE (n=8). 1 μg/ml VSE prolonged PT from 13.5 to 16 sec (p<0.05) and APTT from 62 to 180 sec. PT was maximal (17.7 sec) with 10 μg/ml and APTT (442 sec) with 50 μg/ml VSE. Factors V,VII,X decreased gradually from 94-105% to 11%,11% and 29% with 100 μg/ml VSE and VIII and IX to 1% even with 1 μg/ml VSE. After 5 min with constant concentration of VSE (50 μg/ml) PT was 14.9 sec (normal 13 sec) and APTT 165 sec (normal 54 sec). Both were maximal (17.5 and 298 sec) after 60 min. Factors VII and X decreased to 13% and 32% and VIII and IX to >1% after 60 min of incubation. Injection of 5 mg/kg VSE to cats (n=6-8) resulted in prolongation of PT from 9.4 to 11.2 sec and of APTT from 19.5 to 63 sec after 5 min. Both were maximal after 90 min (12.3 and 127 sec). Factors V,VII and X decreased from 100% to 7.6%, 13% and 37% and VIII and IX to 1% after 10 min. In all experiments TT and plasma fibrinogen were not affected and FDP were normal. Heating of VSE for 5 min at 80°C abolished completely the anticoagulant activity but dialysis for 24 hr at 4°C had no effect on it. The activity was eluted on Sephadex-25 both in void and post void volumes. The results show that VSE has a potent anticoagulant activity against various factors. Factors VIII and IX are markedly decreased. The effect on V, VII and X is moderate. Plasma fibrinogen is not affected. The nature and clinical significance of the anticoagulant activity merit further investigation.