Clearance characteristics of des-AA fibrin and des-AABB fibrin, and thrombus-related uptake of des-AABB fibrin as compared to fibrinogen.

The following paper presents a short review of previous studies relating to the behaviour in man of radiolabelled fibrins des-AA and des-AABB, as compared to that of radiolabelled fibrinogen. Des-AA fibrin was eliminated with a half-life of 30 to 60 min in eight healthy controls, but its half-life was substantially shorter in eight fibrinaemic patients with no demonstrable fibrinolysis. Clearance of des-AABB fibrin was studied in thirteen patients with established venous thrombosis, all subjected to a concomitant fibrin(ogen) uptake test. There was no essential difference in its half-life in patients with a positive fibrinogen uptake test (n = 7) as compared to those with a negative test (n = 6). The metabolic half-life of des-AABB fibrin was 10 +/- 3.5 hrs. The uptake of labelled des-AABB fibrin by thrombi was similar to that of labelled fibrinogen during the first hours after injection, but only fibrinogen could reflect a continuous build-up of thrombi, due to its longer survival time.