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Basics and practice in evaluating plasminogen.
1Blood Coagulation Laboratory, Linz, Austria.
Haemostasis
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Assessing plasminogen concentration via antigenicity is simple but slow. Measuring plasminogen activity requires complex methods, offering insights into its functional state.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Hematology
Background:
- Plasminogen is a crucial proenzyme in the fibrinolytic system.
- Accurate measurement of plasminogen concentration and activity is vital for understanding hemostasis and thrombosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and compare different methods for assaying plasminogen concentration and activity.
- To highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each assay type.
Main Methods:
- Concentration assays utilize antigenicity, such as radial immunodiffusion.
- Activity assays involve measuring lysis time in coagulation tests or on fibrin plates after plasminogen activation.
- Variations include using euglobulin fractions or standardized fibrinogen concentrations.
Main Results:
- Antigenic assays are straightforward and have low error rates but do not reflect plasminogen activity and take 24 hours for results.
- Coagulation-based activity assays are influenced by inhibitors like alpha-2-antiplasmin and fibrinogen levels.
- Fibrin plate assays offer an alternative for activity measurement but depend on the activation method.
Conclusions:
- Both concentration and activity assays provide distinct, important information about plasminogen.
- Assay selection depends on the specific clinical or research question regarding plasminogen's antigenic or functional properties.