Abstract
Fibrinogen is the final essential building block of the clotting process. Thus, all of the preliminary “cause and effect” events in the clotting cascade rely on the work of this molecule to measure their success. The most commonly used laboratory method for measuring fibrinogen is the Clauss fibrinogen assay. The Clauss fibrinogen assay is a quantitative, clot-based, functional assay. The assay measures the ability of fibrinogen to form fibrin clot after being exposed to a high concentration of purified thrombin. Plasma samples are pre-diluted which minimize assay interference from substances like heparin and fibrinogen degradation products. In brief, the diluted plasma is incubated at 37°C prior to the addition of the pre-warmed (37°C) thrombin reagent. From the exact moment of the addition of thrombin, the time to clot is measured. The clotting time in seconds is interpolated from a standard curve made using various dilutions of assayed standard plasma. The following chapter includes detailed information on the Clauss fibrinogen assay. Other fibrinogen assays used include fibrinogen levels derived from prothrombin time assays and antigenic methods. Fibrinogen measurements using the prothrombin time and antigenic based assays are described in brief.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Owen CA Jr (2001) Fibrinogen. In: Wl N, Bowie EJW (eds) A history of blood coagulation. Rochester, Minnesota, pp 19–26
vanCreveld S, Verder HA, Pascha CN, Kroeze WF (1959) The separation of AHF from fibrinogen. Thromb Diath Haemorrh 3:572–577
Ware AG, Guest MM, Seegers WH (1947) Fibrinogen, with special reference to its preparation and certain properties of the product. Arch Biochem 13:231–236
Brown BA (1980) Coagulation. Hematology. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, pp 115–150.
Nieuwenhuizen W, Mossesson MW, De Maat MPM (2001) Fibrinogen: XVIth International Fibrinogen Workshop. Ann NY Acad Sci 645.
Gladner JA (1968) The action of fibrinogen. In: Laki K (ed) Marcel Dekker, Fibrinogen, pp 87–115
Sturge J, Carey N, Davies AH, Powell JT (2001) Fibrin monomer and fibrinopeptide B act additively to increase DNA synthesis in smooth muscle cells cultured from human saphenous vein. J Vasc Siurg 33:847–853
Owen CA Jr (2001) Inherited coagulation factor deficiencies. A history of blood coagulation. Rochester, Minnesota, p 127
Brown BA (1980) Diseases. Hematology. p 256.
Haverkate F, Samama M (1995) Familial dysfibrinogenemia and thrombophilia. Report on a study of the SSC subcommittee on fibrinogen. Thromb Haemost 73:151–161
Mackie IJ, Kitchen S, Machin SJ, Lowe GD (2003) Guidelines on fibrinogen assays. Br J Haematol 121:396–404
Hoots WK, Carrell NA, Wagner RH, Cooper HA, McDonagh J (1981) A naturally occurring antibody that inhibits fibrin polymerization. N Engl J Med 304:857–861
Marciniak E, Greenwood MF (1979) Acquired coagulation inhibitor delaying fibrinopeptide release. Blood 53:81–92
Rosenberg RD, Colman RW, Lorand L (1974) A new haemorrhagic disorder with defective fibrin stabilization and cryofibrinogenaemia. Br J Haematol 26:269–284
de Vries A, Rosenberg T, Kochwa S, Boss JH (1961) AM J Med 30:486–494
Lowe GD, Rumley A (1999) Use of fibrinogen and fibrin D-dimer in prediction of arterial thrombotic events. Thromb Haemost 82:667–672
Procedure for the determination of fibrinogen in plasma; approved guideline. 2nd edn. CLSI(NCCLS). 21(18):H30–A2
Clauss A (1957) Rapid physiological coagulation method in determination of fibrinogen. Acta Haematol 17:237–246
Laffen M, Manning R (2006) Investigation of haemostasis. In: Lewis SM, Bain BJ, Bates I (eds) Practical hematology. Elsevier, Philadelphia, pp 401–422
Ludlam CA, Bennett B, Fox KA, Lowe GD, Reid AW (1995) Guidelines for the use of thrombolytic therapy. Haemostasis and thrombosis task force of the British Committee for standards in haematology. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis 6:273–285
Gosselin RC, King JH, Janatpur KA et al (2004) Effects of pentasaccharide (fondaparinux) and direct thrombin inhibitors on coagulation testing. Arch Pathol Lab Med 128:1142–1145
Lowe GD, Rumley A, Mackie IJ (2004) Plasma fibrinogen. Ann Clin Biochem 41:430–440
Acknowledgments
Funding support was from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (L Mitchell Grant#114981).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Humana Press
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Stang, L.J., Mitchell, L.G. (2013). Fibrinogen. In: Monagle, P. (eds) Haemostasis. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 992. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-339-8_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-339-8_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-338-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-339-8
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols