Soluble fibrin species in arterial thrombi

The aim of this study was to characterize soluble fibrin(ogen) species in human, arterial, in-vivo-formed thrombi, using the immunoblotting technique. Specimens were collected via intra-arterial catheters in six patients scheduled for catheter-directed thrombolysis. Unreduced and reduced samples of the supernatants from the arterial thrombi-derived specimens were electrophoresed on polyacrylamide gels and immunoblotted, using specific mono- and polyclonal anti-fibrin(ogen) antibodies. The reduced samples disclosed substantial amounts of high molecular weight material, consistent with α-chain polymers and γγ-dimers, as well as lower molecular weight material, such as α-, β- and γ-chains. No fibrinogen with intact fibrinopeptide A was detectable, and des-AABB fibrin represented a major fibrin derivative in the soluble part of the arterial thrombi. The α-chains were C-terminally degraded, most of them distal to position 259. In conclusion, we have demonstrated the presence of cross-linked fibrin derivatives in soluble, arterial thrombus-related material, without signs of fibrinogen-fibrin hybrids. The fibrin derivatives were C-terminally degraded, thus representing X-oligomeric material, most probably originating from plasmin degradation of insoluble thrombus fibrin. The present study supports the hypothesis of a dynamic equilibrium between clotting and lysis in thrombi. (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Chemicals/CAS: Antibodies, Monoclonal; Fibrin, 9001-31-4; Fibrinogen, 9001-32-5; Fibrinopeptide A, 25422-31-