Abstract
Commercially available heparin represents a heterogenous mass which is the result of a degree of randomness in the biosynthetic process. Therefore, heparin is considered to be a family of straight-chain anionic polysaccharides, more specifically glycosaminoglycuronan (GAG) sulphate esters of highly variable molecular weight, averaging 9,000 to 15,000 daltons, but extending from perhaps 3,000 to 40,000 daltons (1,2). The anticoagulant action of heparin results from its ability to bind and activate antithrombin III, a heparin cofactor. Antithrombin III inhibits several activated coagulation factors in addition to thrombin, including factors IXa, Xa, XIa, and XIIa; all those inhibition reactions are greatly accelerated in the presence of heparin (3–8). Studies on heparin fractions of different molecular weights obtained by gel filtration, have shown a molecular size dependency of the anticoagulant activity (9–13). The potentiation of the inhibition of factor Xa in the plasma system increases with decreasing molecular weight (97–11). In contrast, measurements by multiple-role clotting assay such as activated partial thromboplasint time (APTT) decreases with decreasing molecular weight (11–14).
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© 1985 Plenum Press, New York
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Kakkar, V. (1985). Prevention of Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism by a New Low Molecular Weight Heparin Fraction. In: Cajozzo, A., Perricone, R., Di Marco, P., Palazzolo, P. (eds) Advances in Hemostasis and Thrombosis. Ettore Majorana International Science Series, vol 20. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9424-6_28
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9424-6_28
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