Abstract
Lonomia Achelous Caterpillar Venom (LACV) causes a severe acquired bleeding diathesis in exposed persons. The condition is characterized by prolonged bleeding from superficial wounds and mucous membranes. Intracranial or intra-abdominal hemorrhage is a common and often fatal complication. A constant finding in these cases is a profound decrease of clotting Factor XIII (FXIII) activity. In the present study, the effects of LACV on plasmatic and purified human FXIII has been evaluated. The results show that native LACV and one of its chromatographicaly purified fractions (termed FIID) produce a dose dependent decrease of FXIII activity accompanied with an impairment of fibrin(ogen) crosslinking. We conclude that the inactivation of FXIII by fraction FIID (which will be named Lonomin V), is one of the principal patho-physiological mechanisms behind the acquired bleeding diathesis seen in these cases. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd
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