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Correlation analysis between D-dimer-to-fibrinogen-ratio and carotid plaque in young patients aged 18-45 with acute
Huijun Wen1, Ning Wang1, Ruihua Hou1
1Department of Neurology, Baoji Municipal Central Hospital, Baoji, Shaanxi 721008, PR China.
Insights
The D-dimer to fibrinogen ratio (DFR) is a novel indicator for detecting carotid plaque in young acute cerebral infarction (ACI) patients. Higher DFR values correlate with increased plaque severity and stroke risk.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Medicine
- Biochemistry
Background:
- D-dimer and fibrinogen are established markers for coagulation and fibrinolysis.
- The D-dimer to fibrinogen ratio (DFR) has not been clinically evaluated in young adults with acute cerebral infarction (ACI).
- Carotid plaque is a significant risk factor for ACI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the DFR in young patients (18-45 years) with ACI and carotid plaque.
- To analyze the correlation between DFR and carotid plaque characteristics.
- To determine if DFR can serve as a predictive marker for ACI severity.
Main Methods:
- 164 ACI patients aged 18-45 underwent carotid plaque contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).
- Patients were categorized into groups with (n=97) and without (n=67) carotid plaque.
- Univariate and multivariate analyses assessed risk factors, including DFR, NIHSS score, and CEUS grading.
Main Results:
- Patients with carotid plaque exhibited significantly higher DFR values (103.41 ± 20.81) compared to the control group (88.9 ± 26.51).
- DFR (specifically DFR X10^3) was identified as the sole independent risk factor for carotid plaque in this cohort.
- Elevated DFR levels correlated positively with stroke severity (NIHSS score) and CEUS plaque grading.
Conclusions:
- The DFR is a valuable indicator for assessing carotid plaque severity in young ACI patients.
- DFR demonstrates a positive correlation with CEUS carotid plaque grading and NIHSS scores.
- The findings support the potential clinical application of DFR in managing ACI in young adults.
Background:
D-Dimer and fibrinogen were commonly used to detect the coagulation and fibrinolytic function, but D-dimer to fibrinogen ratio (DFR) in carotid plaque in young patients aged 18-45 with acute cerebral infarction (ACI) has not been used clinically. In this work, we focused on the evaluation of the DFR value of this group of patients and analyzed its possible correlation.
Methods:
A total of 164 patients with ACI patients aged 18-45 were selected as research subjects after their first admission. They had undergone carotid plaque contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and were divided into two groups with carotid plaque (n = 97) and with no carotid plaque (n = 67). According to NIHSS score and carotid plaque grade, the clinical symptoms of patients were judged. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to compare the risk factors of carotid plaque in ACI patients.
Results:
The DFR value of patients in the carotid plaque group (103.41 ± 20.81) was significantly higher than that of the no carotid plaque control group (88.9 ± 26.51). We also identified DFR X103 was the only independent risk factor (β = 0.53; 95% CI, 0.914-0.984; P = 0.05). DFR X103 was increased with the severity of the disorder and with the CEUS grades. The area under the DFR curve was 0.673 (95% CI 0.584～0.762).
Conclusion:
The value of the DFR is positively correlated with CEUS carotid plaque grading and NIHSS score, which can predict the severity of carotid plaque in ACI patients aged 18-45. Therefore it is worthy of clinical application.
