For studying heparin effect on blood coagulation and on inhibitors, the drug was added at increasing amounts to a normal platelet poor plasma (PPP), and to plasmas of patients with variable amounts of clotting factors (cirrhotic, pregnant, etc) -IN VITRO STUDIES-, and infused to the same individuals -IN VIVO STUDIES-. Modifications on two clotting assays (KCCT-TT) were compared to heparin potentiating effect on AntiXa (Denson & Bonnar tech).When studied IN VITRO, the sensibility of KCCT, TT, and AntiXa techniques for heparin measurement was similar. IN VIVO, an apparently greater sensibility using AntiXa technique was observed.For determining if this phenomena was related to a specific enhanced potentiating effect of the inhibitor against Xa, exerted by heparin IN VIVO, experiences were repeated IN VITRO and IN VIVO, measuring heparin effect on KCCT, TT, and on the inhibitor, studied against Xa and thrombin. A personal technique was used for the measurement of Antithrombin III heparin potentiating effect, using diluted platelet poor test plasma, heated (56°C 15’) and incubated with thrombin during a fixed time, and reading residual thrombin on citrated human PPP. IN VITRO, all techniques were similar in their ability to show heparin presence.IN VIVO, the potentiating effect of heparin on the inhibitor, measured against Xa or thrombin, was greater than the changes obtained on KCCT or TT.So, AntiXa-Antithrombin III techniques seem to be more sensitive for heparin measurement IN VIVO.This “dissociation” of results in between the potentiating effect on the inhibitor, that is not simultaneously exerted on global coagulation, is interpreted as a heparin pro-coagulant effect, exerted by the drug IN VIVO.