title: Plasma levels of D-dimer: a crosslinked fibrin-degradation product in female breast cancer.
abstract: Plasma levels of D-dimer, a degradation product of crosslinked fibrin, were determined in 73 patients with breast cancer. In these patients, significantly elevated plasma levels of D-dimer were found, as compared to healthy controls (P less than 0.0001). In addition, we observed a moderate correlation between plasma levels of D-dimer and those of CA15-3 (r = 0.40; P less than 0.001) and between D-dimer and carcinoembryonic antigen (r = 0.39; P less than 0.01). Plasma levels of thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), reflecting the activation of thrombin, were also significantly elevated in patients with breast cancer (P less than 0.0001), and a poor, but significant correlation between carcinoembryonic antigen and TAT (r = 0.25; P less than 0.05) was found. We concluded that the increase in plasma D-dimer and TAT levels might reflect an enhanced activation of the clotting system in patients with breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Mitter
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zielinski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis; D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C046193:antithrombin III-protease complex; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D013629:Tamoxifen; D000990:Antithrombin III; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases