Heparin: Structure. Function and Clinical Implications

Abstract

The papers that comprise this monograph (vol 52 of the Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology series) were presented at the International Symposium on Heparin held May 13 through 15, 1974, in St Louis. The purpose of this symposium was to bring together scientists and clinicians to share insights into the biochemical properties and clinical applications of heparin. The diverse material is well organized into sections dealing with the drug's structure, function, and clinical uses. The first section deals with the molecular structure of heparin. X-ray crystallographic and physical chemical data are presented to characterize the basic structure. Biosynthetic pathways are discussed, as are the relationships between fine structure and biological properties. Also included is information on methods of heparin determination and the difficult problem of pharmacologic standardization. The second section deals primarily with the mechanisms of heparin interaction with various components of the coagulation and fibrinolytic pathways. Evidence is