Possible role of fibrinogen in the aggregation of white blood cells.

In order to verify whether leukocyte aggregation correlated with aggregation of other cellular elements during inflammation, we examined the state of leukocyte adhesiveness/aggregation (LAA) in the peripheral blood and red cell aggregation. Correlation was found to be significant as was the correlation between LAA and fibrinogen, and with the fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products concentration during various inflammatory states. In vitro leukocyte aggregation was decreased when the cells were suspended in autologous heat defibrinogenated plasma as compared to cells suspended in autologous native plasma. Heat aggregated fibrinogen but not native fibrinogen caused leukocyte aggregation in vitro. Finally, Arvin defibrinogenation in rabbits reduced the state of LAA in endotoxinemic rabbits. Integrating all this information, we assume that fibrinogen participates not only in the aggregation phenomena of red cells and platelets, but also in those of leukocytes.