Significance of thrombin-receptors of thrombocytes for the interaction of heparins and low-molecular-weight heparin in human whole blood clotting.

We describe in the present paper the results of the influence of normal and low-molecular-weight heparin on the interaction of human fibrinogen and thrombocytes in human whole blood cotting ex vivo. During the coagulation process sequential measurements of fibrinopeptide A reflect fibrin formation and determination of platelet factor 4 indicate activation of thrombocytes. The data show that low-molecular-weight heparin inhibits plasma thrombin generation in vivo for longer than normal heparin and it affects the fibrinogen platelet binding less. There is good evidence that a lonely factor Xa inhibition mediates this anticoagulant mechanism. Therefore, these data favor the hypothesis that antifactor Xa activity prevents indeed blood clotting.