Clotting and fibrinolytic activities in peritoneal fluid.

Peritoneal fluid does not clot spontaneously on collection, due to a lack of prothrombin activation, consequent upon a virtual absence of factors V and VIII. Factor VIII related antigen is present in peritoneal fluid in only very small amounts, suggesting that this factor is excluded from the peritoneal cavity, probably by virtue of its size. Slight thrombin activity is demonstrated by the presence of fibrin monomers in the fluid. That peritoneal fluid also contains fibrinolytic activity is shown by high levels of plasminogen and plasmin-antiplasmin complexes, though no plasminogen activator could be detected. No differences were found in clotting and fibrinolytic activities, between fluid taken from these patients with, and those without, laparoscopic evidence of pelvic endometriosis.