Serum thrombomodulin as a prognostic marker of disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Disseminated intra-vascular coagulation (DIC) is associated with severe bleeding tendency and organ failure, the extent of which is thought to be related to the prognosis of DIC patients. Thrombomodulin (TM) is a high-affinity thrombin receptor on vascular endothelial cells. Clinical importance of soluble TM is still controversy as a diagnostic and prognostic indicator in patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). We compared plasma levels of TM with fibrin degradation product (FDP) in patients with DIC through the clinical course. The significant elevation of circulating TM in nonsurvivors with DIC compared with survived patients with DIC(TM 3.1+/-1.52 vs 8.1+/-3.89 FU/ml), as well as FDP (12.9+/-12.12 vs 49.8+/-55.42 microg/ml) but the levels of FDP were not different between the two groups. The measurement of circulating TM was a relatively good prognostic marker of patients with DIC.