Ecarin Clotting Time

The determination of the Ecarin Clotting Time (ECT, engl. ) Is in laboratory medicine, a method for therapy monitoring of anticoagulation with direct thrombin inhibitors such as hirudin, dabigatran, argatroban and bivalirudin.

Principle of the Test

The measurement is made as a rule of citrate. The measured quantity is the clotting time in seconds. The test is based on the activity of ecarin. It is a toxic component of snake Common sand race Lotter ( Echis carinatus ). Ecarin is a metalloprotease, which activates the clotting factor prothrombin to meizothrombin. Thrombin and meizothrombin set the clotting process by cleavage of fibrinogen to fibrin in motion when they are not inhibited by thrombin inhibitors. The fibrinogenaktivierende effect of meizothrombin is less than that of thrombin. As thrombin is inhibited by the thrombin meizothrombin. Depending on the concentration of thrombin inhibitors are removed from the balance so that meizothrombin can initiate the plasmatic coagulation. The clotting time is proportional to the concentration of the thrombin inhibitor.

Target areas of the prolongation of the clotting time will depend on the disease to be treated, the thrombin inhibitor and the used test system.