The combined effect of fibrin formation and factor XIII A subunit Val34Leu polymorphism on the activation of factor XIII in whole plasma

The first step in the activation of blood coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) is the proteolytic cleavage of the potentially active A subunit (FXIII-A) by thrombin at Arg37–Gly38. Both fibrin formation and FXIII-A Val34Leu polymorphism influence the rate of proteolytic activation of purified factor XIII, however their relative importance and interaction in determining the time of onset and the rate of FXIII activation in whole plasma have not yet been explored. In the present study it was shown that in plasma, fibrin formation preceded the truncation of FXIII-A by thrombin, the activation process took place exclusively on the surface of newly formed fibrin and activated FXIII remained associated with the fibrin clot. The time of fibrin formation closely correlated with the time of FXIII activation, while there was no significant relationship between the time of FXIII activation and FXIII-A Val34Leu genotype. However, in the case of Leu34 variant the lag phase between fibrin formation and FXIII-A truncation was significantly shorter than in the case of Val34 variant. The results suggest that in whole plasma the onset of FXIII activation is determined by fibrin formation, while the rate of activation is modulated by Val34Leu polymorphism.