title: Laboratory diagnosis of pulmonary embolism: value of increased levels of plasma D-dimer and thrombin--antithrombin III complexes.
abstract: Plasma D-dimer (DD) and thrombin--antithrombin III complex (TAT) were measured with ELISAs in 99 patients investigated by 102 ventilation--perfusion lung scintigraphy because of suspected pulmonary embolism. High-probability lung scan was associated with increased DD (more than 500 ng/ml) and TAT (more than 4.1 ng/ml) levels (sensitivity of 100 and 70%, respectively). The corresponding figures of specificity were 81 and 42%. In the 56 patients with low-probability or indeterminate probability scans, 31 (55%) had DD concentrations of less than 500 ng/ml. These preliminary data suggest that a plasma DD concentration of less than 500 ng/ml might rule out the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism in suspected patients with an inconclusive lung scanning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bounameaux
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Slosman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Moerloose
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C046193:antithrombin III-protease complex; D000990:Antithrombin III; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases