Direct determination of plasma fibrinogen levels by heat precipitation. A comparison of the technique against thrombin clottable fibrinogen with spectrophotometry and radial immuno-diffusion.

We have studied the Thorp method for precipitation of fibrinogen from diluted plasma, using a specific buffer (pH 6.3) at 56 degrees C, and the preferred anticoagulant (EDTA). Nephelometric or turbidimetric measurements of the precipitate were compared with the results obtained by radial immunodiffusion, or by thrombin clotting, of fibrinogen. In the absence of prior proteolysis (as indicated by the presence of fibrinogen and fibrin degradation products), correlations between the methods were excellent (r > 0.99). We conclude that the method of heat precipitation, which is simple to operate and inexpensive, gives results equally as good as the more difficult and time-consuming techniques.