PLASMA CRYOPRECIPITATION STUDIES - MAJOR INCREASE IN FIBRINOGEN YIELDBY ALBUMIN ENRICHMENT OF PLASMA

The present studies compared fibrinogen yields of cryoprecipitate (Cr) obtained under differing conditions, and focused on yields from album in enriched plasma. Addition of human albumin to fresh plasma collecte d into CPDA-1, citrate,or heparin (4 U/ml) resulted in an average of 2 .8 fold (+/- 0.34 SD, n=17) increase in yields of Cr fibrinogen. This albumin effect was shown with undefatted and defatted albumin, fibrino gen yields increasing in the range of 2-6 g of albumin added/dl of pla sma and plateauing thereafter. Similarly increased were yields of fibr onectin, plasminogen and factor XIII, but not of factor VIII or of von Willebrand factor. By electrophoretic analyses, Cr fibrinogen from al bumin enriched and that from untreated plasma did not differ. Fibrin r elated measurements disclosed that the albumin enhancement of fibrinog en yield did not result from increased fibrin formation in Cr. This en hancement was shown in plasma that had been enriched with soluble fibr in to increase its yield and in that which had been subjected to hirud in, to high ionic strength, or to dilution to decrease its Cr fibrinog en yield. The results suggest a water exclusion effect, inducing cryop recipitation of otherwise soluble fibrin/fibrinogen complexes.