title: Fibrinogen and dysfibrinogenemia.
abstract: The fibrinogen molecule is becoming increasingly understood. Amino acid sequencing has been undertaken and studies of abnormal fibrinogens are leading to a more functional concept of its structure. Acquired dysfibrinogenemia appears to be a more common problem than previously thought, and may be found in patients with liver disease, cancer, fibrinolysis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). While previous evidence suggested that anti-thrombin activity and fibrin polymerization inhibitors were formed in these conditions, recent studies suggest that slow fibrin formation occurs as a result of structural changes induced in the fibrinogen molecule itself. These relatively minor, alterations in structure cause a functional dysfibrinogenemia simulating abnormalities seen in some congenital fibrinogenopathies. A case is presented illustrating such a dysfibrinogenemia in a patient with cirrhosis of the liver and evidence for DIC.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000151:congenital / Q000209:etiology*; D005337:Fibrin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005337:Fibrin; D005340:Fibrinogen