[Evaluation of an enzyme immunoassay for plasma thrombomodulin]

Thrombomodulin (TM) is an endothelial cell membrane glycoprotein which neutralizes thrombin clotting activity and accelerates thrombin-catalyzed activation of plasma protein C. Its role is considered to be very important to prevent thrombosis. Recently, TM has been found in circulating blood and the roles and the functions have been investigated. In this study, we evaluated the reliance and the clinical usefulness of a TM-measuring-kit by enzyme immunoassay (MGC-01-001: Mitsubishi Gas chemical company). Intraassay reproducibility test, dilution linearity test and in vitro recovery test was obtained satisfactory results. A correlation between plasma and serum on TM levels of healthy individuals was very good and the difference between them was not significant. Normal value of plasma TM levels was instituted 15.73 +/- 6.98 ng/ml by measuring 52 healthy adults. The difference between male and female was not significant. Plasma TM levels did not change significantly after venous occlusion test and on circadian fluctuation. Plasma TM levels in patients with occlusion test and on circadian fluctuation. Plasma TM levels in patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was 40.15 +/- 22.68 ng/ml (mean +/- SD, n = 14). It is significantly higher than the levels in healthy adults. However, the levels in patients with angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction and aortic aneurysm were not significantly different from those of healthy adults. These findings suggest that the precision of this TM-measuring-kit is satisfactory and the measurement of plasma TM can be useful to diagnose of DIC.