The value of age- and sex-matched controls for coagulation studies.
Several coagulation parameters and plasminogen levels were studied in 80 normal people divided into eight paired and sex-matched age groups: prepubertal children, postpubertal children, young adults, and adults over 50. The data indicate that factor-VII and -IX activities increase with age, with a cluster of lower activity for children and higher activity for adults. Factor-VIII levels appear to decrease with age, although this effect could be due to greater anxiety in the pre- and postpubertal children at the time of venipuncture. The adults showed no significant change in factor-VIII activity with age, but partial data indicate that factor-VIII levels are higher in adults with blood group A than those with blood group O. The age-related changes in factor-VII, -IX, and possibly -VIII activities did not vary between sexes. By contrast, plasminogen increased strikingly with age in males and decreased with age in females. With fibrinogen, a similar effect was found for adults, though not for the entire population. These findings indicate the importance of using appropriate age- and sex-matched controls for coagulation and plasminogen assays, especially in patients with mild inherited or acquired coagulation disorders.
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005164:Factor IX / Q000032:analysis; D005167:Factor VII / Q000032:analysis; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000032:analysis; D005170:Factor X / Q000032:analysis; D005172:Factor XI / Q000032:analysis; D005174:Factor XII / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000032:analysis; D012737:Sex Factors
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D005167:Factor VII; D005169:Factor VIII; D005164:Factor IX; D005170:Factor X; D005174:Factor XII; D005340:Fibrinogen; D010958:Plasminogen; D005172:Factor XI