Summary
Heparin (100 U/kg body-weight) was injected intravenously, and heparin concentration
in plasma determined by polybrene titration. Mean heparin half-life was 117.8 min
in a group of patients with liver cirrhosis and normal renal function (n = 6) as compared
to 74.0 min in the normal group (n = 6). The difference between the two groups is
statistically significant (p ≈ 0. 02). Heparin half-life was correlated to galactose
half-life in the patients (r = 0.83, p = 0. 05). The findings suggest that heparin
is metabolized in the liver. There was a significant fall in antithrombin III activities
in the normals, but not in the patients. A possible explanation may be that the normal
liver removes heparin bound to antithrombin III, and that this function is impaired
in liver cirrhosis.
