A CIRCULATING ANTICOAGULANT SPECIFIC FOR FACTOR-V

An elderly woman had a vitallium plate inserted to provide fixation for a pertrochanteric fracture of the femur. There was no undue bleeding during operation, but subsequently she was found to have a marked clotting defect, which on further study proved to be due to a circulating anticoagulant specific for factor V. Assays of factors II and X by usual techniques gave very low values, but further studies demonstrated that these factors were probably present in about normal amounts. On column chromatography of the patient's plasma, using Sephadex gel G200, the inhibitor appeared in the first part of the eluate in a similar position to factor V from normal plasma, while factor X appeared in the second part of the patient's eluate. There was no clinical evidence of excessive bleeding, and the defect disappeared after about two weeks. © 1969 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.