Determination of plasminogen in human serum or plasma by a fibrometric method.

A simple, fast, reproducible, and reliable fibrometer method for determination of plasma or serum plasminogen was developed. Results obtained with this method were compared to those obtained with a Coseinolytic method and a Chromogenic Substrate S-2251 method. For all three procedures, serum or plasma samples were acidified before the activation process. Conversion of plasminogen to plasmin during a controlled incubation time at 37 degrees C was accomplished with urokinase, and/or streptokinase. Precision which was determined on multiple aliquoted serum samples showed that the within day coefficient of variations were 4.35 percent and 4.82 percent, and an overall coefficient of variation of 7.68 percent. Satisfactory correlation was also demonstrated on 26 patients' plasmas. A correlation of 0.90 and 0.88 was found between the Caseinolytic assay and the Chromogenic assay, and the clotting time assay. A fibrometric normal range of 68 to 150 percent activity was obtained on 24 normal serum samples.