Polymerization of fetal fibrin and alterations in fibrin network characteristics during diabetic pregnancy.

The present study compares plasma fibrin network characteristics of fetal blood and that of normal and diabetic pregnant women. Plasma fibrinogen concentration, clotting curves, mass-length ratio of the fibrin fibers, gross permeability and tensile strength of the networks, have been measured. Plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin are used as glycemic index in diabetic gestational women. The fetal plasma has a lower concentration of fibrin and exhibits delayed clotting, the networks are made up of thinner fibers, are more cross-linked, have lower permeability, and increased tensile strength than in normal adults. The tensile strength of the networks prepared from the plasma of diabetic gestational women are more highly crosslinked than those made from plasma of normal women of corresponding length of pregnancy. The fibrin fiber-thickness is increased during the first and second trimester but is significantly reduced during the third trimester in the diabetic gestational women. The gross permeability of the networks is significantly reduced during the second and third trimester in the diabetic gestational women. The SDS-PAGE shows characteristic pattern of alpha, beta, and gamma-polypeptides in both normal and diabetic gestational women.