J Reprod Med
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Comparative Study
The thromboelastogram and circulating lupus anticoagulant.
Abnormal lupus anticoagulant (LA) levels, as measured with the activated partial tissue thromboplastin and tissue thromboplastin inhibition tests, are associated with a predisposition toward thromboembolic phenomena. Thromboelastogram (TEG) measurements have been proposed as a standardized assay to predict such a predisposition. We therefore correlated LA and TEG assessments in 46 women who were either apparently healthy controls or who had abnormal LA levels with such conditions as endometriosis and repeated pregnancy wastage. ⋯ Only nine had concomitant LA and TEG abnormalities. We conclude that LA and TEG apparently are not interchangeable as predictors of a hypercoagulable state. While this study did not address which of the two assays has a better predictive value for thromboembolic phenomena, it suggested that each can identify a different patient population.