[Critical evaluation of new methods for studying fibrin degradation products]

Tests for measuring fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products (FDP) in serum have been employed for many years to study conditions in which fibrinolysis is activated. However, these tests can not differentiate between products of plasmin action on fibrinogen and fibrin stabilized by activated factor XIII because antibodies employed are not specific. Moreover, there is the possibility of false positive and false negative FDP tests. Recently new tests have been proposed which employ monoclonal antibodies interacting specifically with antigenic sites of cross-linked fibrin and its degradation products, making it possible to distinguish these degradation products from those of fibrinogen and to have a more precise evaluation of fibrinolysis. Some applications are discussed.