Clotting Defect in Hemophilia: Deficiency in a Plasma Factor Required for Platelet Utilization

Abstract

Summary1. By special handling and prolonged centrifugation of normal blood, plasmas with a delayed clotting time can be obtained. If centrifugation is prolonged sufficiently, the plasmas become spontaneously incoagulable.2. Normal plasmas of this type require the presence of platelets and perhaps other formed elements to correct the delayed clotting of hemophilic plasma.3. These findings indicate that in hemophilia there is a deficiency in a plasma factor required for platelet utilization. It is suggested that this factor is a thrombocytolysin.