New interest in fibrinogen as an ischemic risk factor

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Hematology
• Infectious Disease

Background:

• Platelet-fibrin clot formation is crucial in arterial thrombosis.
• The link between clot strength and fibrinogen in CVD and COVID-19 is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the contribution of fibrinogen to thrombin-induced platelet-fibrin clot strength (P-FCS).
• To compare P-FCS and fibrinogen levels in healthy subjects, COVID-19 patients, and CVD patients.

Main Methods:

• Utilized thrombelastography (TEG 6s) with a citrate cartridge.
• Analyzed P-FCS, fibrin clot strength (F-CS), and fibrinogen levels (FLEV).
• Included healthy subjects (n=157), COVID-19 patients (n=116), and CVD patients (n=93).

Main Results:

• P-FCS, F-CS, and FLEV were elevated in CVD and COVID-19 patients compared to healthy subjects (p<0.05).
• COVID-19 patients exhibited the highest P-FCS, F-CS, and FLEV.
• P-FCS strongly correlated with F-CS and FLEV (R²=0.67, p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Fibrinogen levels significantly influence the viscoelastic strength of platelet-fibrin clots.
• Fibrinogen may be a critical factor in arterial thrombosis, potentially as significant as high platelet reactivity.
• Further research into fibrinogen's role is needed for personalized antithrombotic therapy.