ANTITHROMBOTIC AND FIBRINOLYTIC FACTORS - AN REVIEW

Excessive or nonphysiologic thrombogenesis and fibrinolysis accompanie s many diseases. Several specific proteins involved in the physiologic regulation and maintenance of blood in a fluid state are reviewed in this article. Assays for these proteins or evidence of their function (antithrombin III, protein C, protein S, plasminogen/plasmin, tissue p lasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor I, fibrinogen/fi brin degradation products, and thrombin/antithrombin complexes) are de scribed. Principles, general methodology, and application in veterinar y medicine are discussed. Although most of the investigative work and knowledge concerning these proteins and assays has been in human being s, their use and application in veterinary medicine is becoming more a vailable in research laboratories at referral centers and some larger commercial veterinary laboratories. Use and interpretation of these as says will help clinicians and researchers better understand pathophysi ologic processes occurring in various diseases associated with thrombo genesis and excessive fibrinolysis.