Association of fibrinogen γ' with recurrent thrombosis: a nested case-control study

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Thrombosis Research
• Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

• Fibrinogen gamma-prime (γ') is a natural variant of fibrinogen, comprising 10-15% of total fibrinogen in human blood.
• Previous studies indicate an association between fibrinogen γ' plasma levels and the risk of first-time arterial and venous thrombosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between fibrinogen γ' and recurrent thrombosis in patients with a history of arterial or venous thrombotic events.
• To determine if fibrinogen γ' levels predict the risk of subsequent thrombotic events.

Main Methods:

• A nested case-control study design was employed, including 265 patients diagnosed with arterial or venous thrombosis between 1995 and 2013.
• Patients were prospectively followed for recurrent thrombosis, with 113 cases (recurrence) and 152 controls (no recurrence) matched for sex, age, and blood sampling date.
• Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between baseline plasma fibrinogen γ' levels and the risk of recurrent thrombosis.

Main Results:

• In the arterial thrombosis group, higher absolute and relative fibrinogen γ' levels were observed in cases compared to controls (p<0.01).
• An increase of 50 μg/mL or 5% in fibrinogen γ' was associated with significantly increased odds ratios for recurrent arterial thrombosis (OR=1.11 and 1.31, respectively).
• In the venous thrombosis group, relative fibrinogen γ' levels were trend towards lower in cases (p=0.07), associating with a reduced risk of recurrent thrombosis (OR=0.82).

Conclusions:

• Higher fibrinogen γ' levels are positively associated with an increased risk of recurrent arterial thrombosis.
• An inverse, though not statistically significant, association was observed between relative fibrinogen γ' levels and recurrent venous thrombosis risk.