[Clinical importance of the determination of antithrombin III by the use of a chromogenic substrate, in cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation and of acute hepatic insufficiency]. / Rilevanza clinica della determinazione della antitrombina III mediante substrato cromogeno in casi di coagulazione intravascolare disseminata e di insufficienza epatica acuta.

Antithrombin III (AT III) an alpha 2 globulin produced by liver, is the most important plasmatic inhibitor of activated coagulation factors, that bind irreversibly to it with formation of inactive complexes. Therefore, when coagulation processes are activated in vivo, a decrease of AT III is presumably likely to occur. In the present research, AT III has been determined both as substance concentration, by radial immunodiffusion, and on the base of its activity on a chromogenic substrate (Chromozym) in patients with DIC before and after heparin therapy. Some patients with acute liver insufficiency have been similarly studied, because they not only have a deficient protein synthesis but also show phenomena of anticoagulative factors consumption. In all the patients, the AT III levels appeared decreased by both methods; the decrease of activity was comparatively much more intense and in a case no activity was even detectable.

[One case of acquired dyserythropoietic anemia: morphologic cytochemical study (author's transl)]. / Un caso di anemia diseritropoietica acquisita. Studio morfologico e citochimico.

A case of acquired dyserythropoietic anemia is described in a sixty-six year old patient: is characterized by a very considerable pancitopenia, and by the presence in the bone-marrow of notable morphologic atipia both in erythroblastic line and in granulocitopoietic one. The iron kinetics and erythrocitic surviving are highly altered. The citochimic study points out the presence of myelocites with perossidasis-deficit and the presence of PAS positive erythroblasts. These data indicate metabolic anomalies that seem to localize the primitive deficit in the stem-cells.

[At II in liver diseases. Comparison between immunological determination and that with chromogenic substrate]. / L'AT III in patologia epatica. Confronto tra la determinazione immunologica e quella con substrato cromogeno.

Plasma antithrombin III activity determined as a heparinic cofactor, by means of chromogenic substrate (Cromozym TH) has been compared with protein concentration of AT III (radial immunodiffusion) in patients with a variety of liver conditions. Reference values for AT III were obtained from the plasma of 50 donors whose state of health was confirmed by simultaneous determination of 20 haematochemical parameters (SMAC-Technicon). The patients were classified according to clinical, laparobioptic and laboratory data and put through a series of clotting tests including PT, fibrinogen, FDP, Hepatoquick, Platelet count. In healthy donors, the activity and protein concentration of antithrombin III were interrelated, as they were even in cirrhotic patients (r = 0.77) both being markedly reduced; in chronic hepatitis, diminution with both methods was modest and correlation less apparent (r = 0.48).