Abstract
There is paucity of information regarding the prolonged plasma thrombin time known to occur in some patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Detailed investigations of plasma from two such patients disclosed that IgG accounted for this defect in each case. IgG isolated from plasma of either patient possessed the property of delaying fibrin aggregation and prolonging the clotting times of fibrinogen. Preincubation of IgG from either patient with anti-IgG or anti-Fab (rabbit) serum abolished this anticoagulant property. Moreover, the anticoagulant IgG from the first patient was neutralized with anit-k chain and anti-IgG3, that from the second patient with anti-lambda chain and anti-IgG1 serum. These anticoagulants were also dissimilar with respect to their interactions with fibrin(ogen). IgG from the first patient had no anticoagulant activity against fibrin(ogen) species lacking intact Aalpha chains. IgG from the second patient displayed undiminished anticoagulant effect on such fibrin(ogen) species. We conclude that each anticoagulant interacted with a distinct region(s) on the fibrinogen molecule and that these interactions affect or involve sites that participate in the fibrin self-assembly process.
