Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2026
Digital PCR for Quantifying Circulating MicroRNAs in Acute Myocardial Infarction and Cardiovascular Disease
Published on: July 3, 2018
D-Dimer: an analyte with increasing application in Covid-19 infection
Kanjaksha Ghosh1, Kinjalka Ghosh2
1Department of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Former Director of The Institute, National Institute of Immunohaematology (Niih-icmr), Mumbai, India.
Insights
D-Dimer testing is crucial for diagnosing and understanding various conditions, including COVID-19. Standardization of D-Dimer measurement methods is needed for accurate clinical interpretation.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Chemistry
- Hematology
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- D-Dimer levels are increasingly utilized across medical specialties beyond hematology.
- COVID-19 infection presents unique challenges and insights into D-Dimer elevation and its underlying mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the diagnostic and prognostic applications of D-Dimer.
- To explore factors influencing D-Dimer levels, including measurement techniques and pathological states.
- To specifically address the role of D-Dimer in COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of articles with relevant keywords from 1990 onwards, primarily from PubMed.
- Analysis of factors contributing to D-Dimer variability and elevation.
- Correlation of D-Dimer levels with disease stage and complications in COVID-19.
Main Results:
- D-Dimer is valuable in diagnosing, prognosing, and managing various conditions associated with elevated coagulability.
- Factors such as renal function, age, and measurement techniques influence D-Dimer reference ranges.
- In COVID-19, D-Dimer levels correlate significantly with disease severity and complications.
Conclusions:
- D-Dimer assessment requires standardization due to measurement variability and molecular heterogeneity.
- Understanding D-Dimer's role in COVID-19 provides insights into disease pathophysiology.
- Accurate D-Dimer interpretation necessitates consideration of clinical context and influencing factors.
Introduction:
D- Dimer levels from peripheral blood are increasingly used to assess various pathological conditions. Initially, an area for hematologists, now this analyte is evaluated more extensively from many specialties of medicine. Covid-19 infection has not only added a new dimension to D-Dimer level assessment in this disease but has also shed newer lights to the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms for its elevation in this disease.
Areas Covered:
Innate variability in measuring D- Dimer levels, Impact of various techniques in measuring D- Dimer, nonavailability of uniform controls and standards, molecular heterogeneity of the product, how it is produced. Reasons for raised D- Dimer in covid-19 infection. D- Dimer in other pathological states. Articles with relevant key words from 1990 searched in PubMed were utilized for review.
Expert Opinion:
: D-Dimer has important application in diagnosis, prognosis, management, and understanding various conditions. Its level can rise with increased coagulability of blood, sepsis, cytokine storm, snake bite, etc. Renal function, age influences its reference ranges. Units of measurement, its expression varies in different reports needing international standardization. In Covid-19 infection its levels correlate with stage of the disease, pathology, and complications.
