Plasma factor XIII in normal persons, in various disorders, and in pregnancy

A new technique for factor XIII determination, spot fluorescent method (K. Aizawa et al., SEIKAGAKU, vol. 46, 568, 1974, abstract) effectively used screening many test samples in normal, in arteriosclerotic patients, and in pregnant women. The results were summarized as followings.1) Plasma factor XIII concentration in normal persons is gradually increased depending on age from teenage to older, and rapidly increased from late middle age. There is obvious positive relationship between plasma factor XIII and age.2) The avarage and the standard deviation in young adult was 18.4±3.03) There was little relationship between factor XIII and puls wave velocity which was considered to indicate the extent of aortic sclerosis. But factor XIII in the persons who gave myocardial disorders i. e. abnormal ST, T in the ECG were meaningfully high, while the broad distribution from low to high was seen in the patient group of angina on the other hand.4) Every malignant tumor and liver cirrhosis showed abnormally low level of plasma factor XIII.5) Fibrinogen, platelet count, and total protein were all once decreased by pregnancy, and became recovered from 1st trimester, 2nd trimefter, or 3rd trimester stage individually.On the other hand factor XIII was increased by pregnancy and maintained in the high level during all trimester, and rapidly decreased after delivery.