Serum fibrinogen-fibrin related antigen and protamine sulfate test in patients with septic abortion and acute renal failure.

Decreased platelet count and platelet adhesiveness as well as increased values of the protamine sulfate test were found in 26 patients with septic abortion (9 of them anuric). Serum fibrinogen-fibrin related antigen (FR-antigen) values, detected in 13 patients (7 of them anuric) were greatly increased although euglobulin lysis time was rather prolonged (more than 400 min). Less increased FR-antigen values were noted in 15 cirrhotic patients with enhanced fibrinolytic activity in the circulating blood (euglobulin lysis time less than 120 min). These findings suggest that an important increase of FR-antigen in serum is likely to indicate a local fibrinolytic response to an initial coagulation event. Since platelet count and adhesiveness as well as FR-antigen and protamine sulfate test were similarly changed in patients with septic abortion who developed acute renal failure and in those who did not, it seems that the above mentioned parameters are not predictive for the evolution of thrombotic deposits and for possible renal complications following an episode of disseminated intravascular coagulation.