Heparin Cofactor II and Thrombin-Heparin Cofactor II Complex in Patients with Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

We studied diagnostic significance of measuring the plasma levels of heparin cofactor II (HC II) and thrombin-heparin cofactor II complex (T-HC II) in patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). The plasma levels of HC II, T-HC II and other factors—thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), antithrombin III (AT III), α2-plasmin inhibitor-plasmin complex (PIC), FDP-E, protein C (PC), protein C inhibitor (PCI), and fibrinogen—were measured in 9 patients with DIC and 31 control subjects. HC II activity was measured by a chromogenic assay. HC II antigen was measured by immunoelectrophoresis. T-HC II was measured by enzyme immunoassay. HC II activity was correlated with its antigen. In the patients with DIC, HC II was correlated with AT III, PC, PCI and fibrinogen. T-HC II increased in all patients with DIC (vs control value, p<0.01), and it was correlated with TAT, PIC and FDP-E. Therefore determination of HC II and T-HC II could be valuable for the diagnosis of DIC.