Adaptation and evaluation of a chromogenic test procedure for fibrin monomers on a centrifugal analyzer.

We evaluated a recently introduced quantitative chromogenic substrate test for the determination of fibrin monomers in plasma (Coa-set FM test). The sample and reagent volume, the reaction time and the composition of the zero standard were modified. In its optimized form the test showed good reproducibility and an acceptable linearity range. Freezing and thawing of the samples does not cause problems. The coefficient of correlation in the comparison of the Coa-set FM test and the Boehringer FM test was r = 0.967, whereas the conformity was poor. The reference ranges for males and females were not significantly different, resulting in a universal reference range of 8.4-13.2 nmol/l. In conclusion, the Coa-set FM test is, in the modified form, a precise, quick and sensitive method, which can become a valuable tool in the early detection of circulating fibrin monomers.