This book describes the fibrinolytic enzymes of microbial origin that are able to dissolve endogenous thrombi in vivo. The fibrinolytic enzyme streptokinase for example, is produced by b-hemolytic streptococci and exerts its enzyme action indirectly by activating plasminogen. On the other hand, staphylokinase is produced by Staphylococcus aureus by stoichiometric complexation with plasmin(ogen)...

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) has been considered a rather rare syndrome characterized by severe bleeding. In fact, both of these beliefs are wrong. Bleeding is fairly rare in DIC. The clotting parameters are usually normal unless the DIC is fulminating. It is usually thought that fibrinogen may be low or absent in DIC. However, afibrinogenemia is rare. Fibrinogen is usually high...

OBJECTIVE Although stasis is important in the pathogenesis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), how it contributes to thrombogenesis is largely unknown. To gain mechanistic insight, we used a rat model of inferior vena cava (IVC) ligation. METHODS AND RESULTS Rats were subjected to IVC ligation for 15 to 60 minutes. Ligation resulted in rapid IVC dilatation and by 60 minutes, thrombi were detected ...

The coronary arteries are diffusely involved by atherosclerotic plaques in fatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The degree of luminal narrowing may vary but plaques are present in practically every millimeter of extramural coronary artery. Usually the lumens of at least two of the three major coronary arteries are narrowed >75% by old plaques in patients who die suddenly (<6 hours) from car...

FK506 (Tacrolimus) recently has been shown to be an effective immunosuppressant after renal transplantation. It is associated with less hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and steroid use compared with cyclosporine. We report 10 patients on FK506 who showed fibrin thrombi within the glomerular capillaries and/or arterioles at renal allograft biopsy. These biopsies were generally performed to ass...

BACKGROUND There is still no standard large animal model for evaluating the effectiveness of potential thrombolytic therapies. Here, we aimed to develop a new beagle model with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) by injecting autologous emboli with similar components of coronary thrombus. METHODS 18 male beagles were included and divided into three groups: red embolus group (n = 6), wh...

INTRODUCTION The causes of coma and death in cerebral malaria remain unknown. Malarial retinopathy has been identified as an important clinical sign in the diagnosis and prognosis of cerebral malaria. As part of a larger autopsy study to determine causes of death in children with coma presenting to hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, who were fully evaluated clinically prior to death, we examined the...

Coated platelets, formed by collagen and thrombin activation, have been characterized in different ways: i) by the formation of a protein coat of α-granular proteins; ii) by exposure of procoagulant phosphatidylserine; or iii) by high fibrinogen binding. Yet, their functional role has remained unclear. Here we used a novel transglutaminase probe, Rhod-A14, to identify a subpopulation of platele...