[Fibrinogen and fibrin structure in patients with cirrhosis of the liver (author's transl)].

The question is still open, whether a pathologic formation of fibrinogen or an insufficient stabilized fibrin are causative factors within the complex disorders in hemostasis in patients with liver cirrhosis. Thus, 45 patients with liver cirrhosis, which was proven by liver biopsy, were investigated by means of sodium-dodecyl-sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamidgel-electrophoresis in order to evaluate, whether the liver produces a pathological fibrinogen or whether the formation of fibrin from fibrinogen is defect. The fibrin stabilizing factor (factor XIII) was measured by immunological methods. In order to have a mean of the stage of the disease, 37 patients were subdivided by the extend or their porto-caval collateral circulation and further 8 patients were investigated having bleeding from esophageal varices. By the results evidence accrued that in advanced stages of liver cirrhosis and a marked porto-caval collateral circulation polymerization of fibrinogen was insufficiently, especially, the formation of alpha-chains was altered, whereas the formation of gamma-dimers, the separation of fibrinopeptides from fibrinogen, and the aggregation of fibrinmonomers were normal. This defect in fibrin structure was positive correlated with the stage of liver cirrhosis, which correlated negative with the plasma activity of factor XIII. In vitro, the defect in fibrin formation, from fibrinogen was abolished by adding factor XIII to the assay. Thus, in liver cirrhosis fibrin formation is altered because of factor XIII deficiency, but a normal fibrinogen is synthesized by the liver. In consequence, the administration of factor XIII preparations is suggested as one clinical action among others to benefit the hemostatic disorders, especially in patients with bleeding from esophageal varices.