ECAT Assay Procedures A Manual of Laboratory Techniques : European Concerted Action on Thrombosis and Disabilities of the Commission of the European Communities

This book offers a description of current and recently developed laboratory assays in the field of haemostasis and thrombosis. It is the result of a unique cooperation between experts from more than 60 institutes in 12 European countries, brought together by the ECA T (European Concerted Action on Thrombosis and Disabilities) under the auspices of the Commission of the European Communities in Brussels, Belgium. The ECAT, which was initiated in 1981, designed and performed three prospective clinical studies to establish haemostatic factors as risk indicators of thrombosis. Included were patients with angina pectoris at risk from myocardial infarction, patients undergoing angioplasty at risk from re-stenosis, and patients receiving hip replacement at risk from deep venous thrombosis. Assay procedures were chosen, training courses for technicians held, and essential reagents were supplied from a central source. A quality control assessment scheme served to compare assay results both within and between laboratories. In the angina pectoris study, centres determined most of the assays locally; in the other two studies assays were performed centrally. The need for further quality assessment in Europe Dr J. F. Davidson in Glasgow, led to a separate activity coordinated by including coagulation inhibitors and plasminogen as risk factors for familial venous thrombosis. The Editors hope the ECA T Assay Procedures book will contribute to further harmonization ofhaemostasis assays, and ultimately to their standardization. Front Matter....Pages i-x Quality assessment of haemostatic assays....Pages 1-11 Blood collection and preparation: pre-analytical variation....Pages 13-20 Beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor 4....Pages 21-34 The activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)....Pages 35-40 The prothrombin time test....Pages 41-45 Fibrinogen....Pages 47-55 Factor VII clotting activity....Pages 57-63 Factor VIII clotting activity....Pages 65-70 Von Willebrand factor....Pages 71-75 Antithrombin III activity and antigen....Pages 77-84 Protein C activity and antigen....Pages 85-98 Protein S antigen....Pages 99-108 Fibrinopeptide A (FPA)....Pages 109-116 Thrombin—antithrombin III complexes....Pages 117-123 Euglobulin clot lysis time....Pages 125-129 Tissue type plasminogen activator antigen (t-PA Ag)....Pages 131-137 Tissue-type plasminogen activator activity assay....Pages 139-146 Plasminogen activator inhibitor activity assay....Pages 147-150 Plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen....Pages 151-153 Plasminogen activity....Pages 155-163 α 2 -Antiplasmin activity....Pages 165-171 Plasmin—α 2 -antiplasmin complexes....Pages 173-183 Plasma histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG)....Pages 185-190 Quantitative enzyme immunoassays for degradation products of fibrinogen (FgDP), fibrin (FbDP) and total of FgDP and FbDP (TDP)....Pages 191-203 Bß 15–42 peptide....Pages 205-212 The venous occlusion test in fibrinolysis assays....Pages 213-216 List of manufacturers....Pages 217-224 Back Matter....Pages 225-230 This book offers a description of current and recently developed laboratory assays in the field of haemostasis and thrombosis. It is the result of a unique co-operation between experts from more than 60 institutes in 12 European countries, brought together by the ECAT (European Concerted Action on Thrombosis and Disabilities) under the auspices of the Commission of the European Communities in Brussels. This book is based on two previous editions, which were for internal use only. Each assay was assessed by an expert who functioned in the ECAT as representative of a reference laboratory. An assay committee coordinated the activities. Each chapter is written by the assay expert. Most of the chapters give detailed descriptions of the assay recommended for use in the ECAT and briefly mention alternatives. For this reason a list is included of firms that are commercializing kits and reagents. The editors believe that this manual will contribute to further harmonization of haemostasis assays and, ultimately, to their standardization