IN-VITRO STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF LARVAL EXCRETORY SECRETORY PRODUCTS AND CRUDE EXTRACTS FROM ANISAKIS SIMPLEX ON BLOOD-COAGULATION/

The anticoagulant action of Anisakis simplex larvae on human blood in vitro was examined. Anticoagulant activity was assessed by routine scr eening tests that evaluate the overall competency of the coagulant mec hanism. A slight prolongation of the prothrombin time (PT) was observe d with the larval crude extracts. Prolongation of the PT was seen at a concentration of excretory/secretory (ES) products greater than 62.5 mu g/ml. No prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT) was observed using crude extracts. There was a prolongation of t he PTT with ES products at concentrations greater than 62.5 mu g/ml. E S products of the larvae were able to prolong coagulation times indica ting that they contain an inhibitory or anticoagulant property. Prepar ation of crude extracts of A. simpler showed only minimal anticoagulan t activity. The results obtained by measurements of the PT and the PTT suggest a probable alteration of one of the coagulation proteins name ly factors Xa, IIa or Va. These findings suggest that the anticoagulan t activity demonstrated in the ES products may play an important role during invasion of the gastric or intestinal mucosa by larvae and coul d have biological significance in infected patients.