Summary
In order to assess precisely the fibrinolytic state in disseminated intravascular
coagulation (DIC), plasma levels of fibrinogenolysis products (FgDP), fibrinolysis
products (FbDP) and fibrinogenolysis plus fibrinolysis products (TDP) were measured
with newly developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays based on monoclonal antibodies
in 72 patients with DIC at presentation. Not only FbDP and TDP but also FgDP were
markedly elevated in patients with DIC. When analyzed according to the underlying
disease categories, the relative proportion of FgDP to TDP was high in patients with
acute promyelocytic leukemia and vascular diseases, and it was the lowest in patients
with sepsis. Correlation analysis revealed that plasma levels of FgDP correlated negatively
with alpha 2-antiplasmin and positively with plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin complex (PAP)
and a ratio of PAP to thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT). These findings indicate
that besides fibrinolysis, fibrinogenolysis is markedly accelerated in the majority
of the patients with DIC.