THROMBIN-ANTITHROMBIN-III COMPLEXES AND ANTITHROMBIN-III IN AMNIOTIC-FLUID

We measured thrombin-antithrombin III (TAT) complexes and antithrombin III (AT III) in amniotic fluid and blood plasma of 39 parturient wome n. TAT was measured by ELISA. Partigen plates were used for measuring the antigen of AT III, and activity was determined using chromogenic s ubstrate. While AT III activity and AT III antigen were below 20% of p lasma values, TAT concentration was 2-4 times higher in amniotic fluid than in blood plasma (over twice at the onset of labour, i.e. 54.2 +/ - 26.4 and 20.7 +/- 10.7 ng/ml, and approximately 4 times after childb irth, i.e. 108.9 +/- 49.2 ng/ml in amniotic fluid and 27.8 +/- 13.2 ng /ml in blood plasma, respectively). We have concluded that thrombin ge neration and TAT formation in amniotic fluid are of significantly high er intensity than in plasma, and they increase during labour.