Simultaneous fibrinogen and platelet survival with (75Se)selenomethionine in man. Studies in diseases with normal coagulation and in hepatocellular disease with abnormal coagulation.

Abstract

Summary. Simultaneous fibrinogen and platelet survivals were determined with a cohort label, [75Se]selenomethionine, in patients with hepatocellular disease and abnormal serial thrombin times (STT) and in control patients. The fibrinogen survival curves were divided into an anabolic and catabolic phase. In a control group maximum labelling of fibrinogen (anabolic phase) occurred within 24 hr and mean fibrinogen survival (catabolic phase) was 7.8 ± 2.8 days. Patients with hepatocellular disease fell into two groups, those with short fibrinogen survivals and those with normal fibrinogen survivals. In general, the more abnormal the STT the shorter the fibrinogen survival. The anabolic phase of the curve was also abnormal in that there was delay in incorporation of label in these patients.Average platelet survival in control patients was 10.6 ± 3.3 days and similar results were obtained in the patients with hepatocellular disease. In the latter no correlation was noted between platelet survival and fibrinogen survival.The data are consistent with the hypothesis that in hepatocellular disease fibrinogen anabolism is abnormal and short fibrinogen survival, when present, is due to either the production of an abnormal fibrinogen or defibrination or both.