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Updated: Jul 5, 2026
Leveraging Turbidity and Thromboelastography for Complementary Clot Characterization
Published on: June 4, 2020
Measurement of functional fibrinogen levels using the Thrombelastograph
Roger C Carroll1, Robert M Craft, Jack J Chavez
1Department of Anesthesiology, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, 1924 Alcoa Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920, USA. rccarrol1@mc.utmck.edu <rccarrol1@mc.utmck.edu>
Study Objective:
To validate a Thromboelastograph (Haemoscope Corporation, Niles, IL) assay for functional fibrinogen.
Design:
Correlation study of the Thromboelastograph assay with two conventional fibrinogen assays by the standard Clauss method.
Setting:
Research laboratory of a university medical center.
Participants And Interventions:
Blood samples were obtained from 19 healthy volunteers.
Measurement And Main Results:
Thromboelastograph assays, using heparinized whole blood from 19 healthy donors, indicated that reptilase-XIIIa mixture (Activatorf)-generated clot shear elasticity in dynes per square centimeter (Gf) correlated with fibrinogen (mg/dL). Blood from four donors was used to define the contribution of hematocrit (Hct) to Gf by titration with platelet-rich plasma. The Gf versus Hct gave linear correlations (r2 = 0.746) with Gf = 1258 - 17.8 x % Hct. A commercial collection of 19 normal, 10 borderline, and one deficient for functional fibrinogen-citrated plasmas was assayed for Gf after recalcification using Activatorf. Of the 30 plasma samples, four were from factor X- or factor VII-deficient donors and one was from a coumadin-treated donor. There was a linear correlation of Activatorf Gf with functional fibrinogen (r2 = 0.940) with Gf = -730 + 9.21 x fibrinogen (mg/dL).
Conclusion:
Thrombelastography with Activatorf may be used to determine fibrinogen levels in whole blood.
