title: Plasma fibrinogen in unstable coronary artery disease.
abstract: The fibrinogen and orosomucoid levels in plasma were studied in 249 patients within 24 h after admission to the coronary care unit because of suspected unstable coronary artery disease (CAD), i.e. unstable angina pectoris or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI). Of these patients, 127 were considered to have unstable CAD either because of symptoms and signs of coronary insufficiency at a pre-discharge exercise test (n = 66) or because of the development of a probable or definite non-Q-wave MI (n = 61). The other chest pain patients without objective signs of myocardial ischaemia constituted the control group. A diagnosis of unstable CAD, and the occurrence of obesity or current smoking contributed independently to elevated fibrinogen and orosomucoid levels. In patients with non-Q-wave MI both the fibrinogen and orosomucoid levels were high regardless of obesity and smoking, indicating myocardial necrosis as a prominent cause for the elevation of these acute phase reactants. Obesity and smoking seemed to influence the metabolism of fibrinogen and orosomucoid and change their basal level and/or exaggerate their response to inflammatory stimuli. The increased fibrinogen level in unstable CAD might reflect a hypercoagulable state that contributes toward a progression of coronary lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Swahn
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: von Schenck
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wallentin
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000097:blood*; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D001835:Body Weight; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000032:analysis*; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D009961:Orosomucoid; D005340:Fibrinogen