70 patients from 48 families were examined. Of them, 59 (84%) patients
had type I Willebrand's disease (WD), 9 (13%) type II, 2 (3%) type II
I WD. Hemostasis was assessed by functional tests: APTT, FVIII activit
y, bleeding time, ristocetin-cofactor activity of plasma Willebrand fa
ctor (WF). The WF levels in plasma and platelets were measured on a Re
ader-210 Microwell system by enzyme immunoassay with 380 F2 monoclonal
antibodies to human WF. The functional parameters in 65 patients in r
emission were within normal range in half the patients. The only objec
tive diagnostic criterion of the patients inclusion into WB group was
the level of WF in plasma, especially when patients with type I WD wer
e examined. The level of WF was always low in patients of this group e
ven in the presence of normal values of functional tests. The severity
of WD course and definition of laboratory signs of the disease depend
ed mainly on the involvement of platelet WF in pathological process. I
n patients with a decrease of both plasma and platelet WF the course o
f the diseases was most serious and laboratory data most shifted from
normal.