DiaPharma Group, Inc.

Determination of prothrombin levels in patients undergoing antocoagulant therapy. Based on the interaction of hirudin with meizothrombin a simple ecarin clotting test for the monitoring of hirudin levels has been developed. Due to its action on acaroboxy prothrombin, ecarin can be used for the determination of acarboxy prothrombin in the supernatant of barium sulfate treated patient plasma where normal carboxylated prothrombin has been removed by adsorption. Ecarin can be used for the detection of low prothrombin concentrations in plasma fractions for quality and in-process control purposes. Ecarin, used in conjunction with the phospholipid- and calcium ion-dependant prothrombin activator textarin from Pseudonaja textillis venom, forms a highly sensitive and specific test system for lups anticoagulant.