Summary
The way by which contact of blood with foreign surface accelerates clotting has been
elucidated from the discovery of four rare disorders of blood coagulation; Hageman
trait, plasma thromboplastin antecedent (PTA) deficiency, Fletcher trait, and Fitzgerald
trait. Interestingly, it was unexpectedly found that Fletcher factor is plasma prekallikrein
and Fitzgerald factor is high-molecular-weight kininogen; components of the kinin-generating
system, thus disclosing intimate relationships among clotting, fibrinolysis and kinin
generation which may be viewed as body’s defense reactions against injury. This review
mainly reflects our research on Fletcher trait and Fitzgerald trait during the 1970s
in Cleveland.
Keywords
Contact factor - kinin system - fibrinolysis - Fletcher trait - Fitzgerald trait