Detection of Prethrombin 1 in Human Blood Plasma

Background: Prethrombin 1 is one of prothrombin derivatives which appears in the presence of thrombin in vitro. However, existence of prethrombin 1 in vivo remained questionable. The aim of present work was to detect of prethrombin 1 in vivo at abdominal aortic aneurysm, hip replacement after fracture and stroke.

Methodology: Blood plasma samples of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm, hip replacement after fracture, stroke, and patients which were treated with warfarine were collected. Detection of prethrombin 1 was completed using three independent approaches: combination of prothrombin index and ecamulin (ecarin) index; the APTT-test modified by addition of exogenous prothrombin; Western-blotting of blood plasma using polyclonal antibody to prothrombin.

Results: Prethrombin 1 presence in patients’ blood plasma at studied pathologies was proven. Inactive prothrombin (descarboxy-prothrombin), but not prethrombin 1 was found in blood plasma of patients which were treated with warfarine. Developed approach can be used for testing the prethrombin 1 in clinical diagnostics.

Conclusion: Prethrombin 1 at different pathologies, accompanied by coagulation disorders was detected in patients’ blood plasma directly.