Increased tissue thromboplastin activity in monocytes of patients with meningococcal infection: related to an unfavourable prognosis.

In 16 patients, 13 with meningococcal infection and 3 suspected to have this infection, 8 patients were found to possess significant higher level of tissue thromboplastin activity of their monocytes isolated from the blood at the admission to the hospital than normal. Five of those 8 patients had an extremely high concentration, greater than 60-300 fold increase, and all these patients died. The exposed tissue thromboplastin activity on the surface of the endotoxin stimulated monocytes is probably the direct inducer of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in meningococcal infection.