The inhibitor of prothrombin conversion in plasma of patients on oral anticoagulant treatment.

Pooled plasma of patients under stable oral anticoagulation has been analysed with respect to the presence of the vitamin-K dependent factors (factors II, VII, IX and X). Of all factors 1.5-2 times more antigen than procoagulant activity was present. The concentration of factors II, X (measured spectrophotometrically) and VI is about 0.25 U/ml while factor IX is slightly higher. Coagulation assays of factor X always gave lower values than the spectrophotometric assay. This discrepancy was not influenced by the removal of either factor II-, factor VII- or factor IX antigen. However, when the factor X antigen was replaced by normal factor X, all factor X assay gave identical results, indicating that PIVKA X is responsible for these discrepancies. Using the technic of the Thrombotest-dilution curve it was shown that PIVKA X is the factor that causes the abnormal prolongation of ox-brain prothrombin time in these plasmas.