Defective fibrin crosslinking in acute leukemia

Fibrin crosslinking was assayed in 22 patients with acute leukemia showing secondary coagulation abnormalities of variable severity. In 9 patients fibrin crosslinking was found to be normal, whereas 10 patients presented impaired polymerization of alpha-chains and 3 of both alpha- and gamma-chains. Only a rough correlation was found between transamidating activity of factor XIII and the fibrin crosslinking pattern in these patients. Moreover, incomplete fibrin crosslinkage occurred at levels of factor XIII far in excess of that required for full polymerization of fibrin in "normal" plasma. This latter finding suggests that, in addition to factor XIII deficiency, other causes are responsible for the high rate of fibrin crosslinking impairment in acute leukemia.