EFFECTS OF THROMBIN AND PLATELET CONCENTRATIONS AND OF CLOT RETRACTION ON FIBRIN STRAND WIDTHS 12

Abstract

Purified fibrinogen solutions and plasma preparations were clotted with various concentrations of thrombin, both with and without platelets present in the clotting mixture. The radii of the fibrin strands were measured using a light scattering method and it was shown that: (1) Decreasing the thrombin concentration resulted in wider fibrin strands, (2) Increasing the platelet concentration resulted in wider fibrin strands. (3) Clot retraction did not significantly alter the width of the fibrin strands. These findings are discussed in the light of current knowledge in this area.