The ECT is also unaffected by prior treatment with warfarin or the presence of phospholipid-dependent anticoagulants, such as lupus anticoagulant. Thus, the ECT is prolonged in a specific and linear fashion with increasing concentrations of hirudin. An enhancement of the ECT is the ecarin chromogenic assay (ECA) in which diluted sample is mixed with an excess of purified prothrombin and the generated meizothrombin is measured with a specific chromogenic substrate.
The ECT is also not influenced by previous treatment with warfarin or the presence of phospholipid-dependent anticoagulants, such as lupus anticoagulant. Consequently, the ECT is prolonged in a predictable and linear manner with increasing concentrations of hirudin. An enhancement of the ECT is the ecarin chromogenic assay (ECA), where diluted sample is mixed with an excess of purified prothrombin and the generated meizothrombin is measured using a specific chromogenic substrate.