title: Circulating D dimer in inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: An activated thrombogenesis has been reported in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study we evaluated whether a fibrin degradation product, the D dimer, is increased in patients with IBD. D dimer plasma levels were evaluated by sandwich ELISA in patients with Crohn's disease (24), ulcerative colitis (25), gastrointestinal (GI) disease controls (10), hospital controls (13) and healthy subjects (14). Circulating D dimer was significantly higher in ulcerative colitis (median 651; 95% CI 89-1275 ng/ml) than in healthy subjects (median 412; 95% CI 112-672 ng/ml; p = 0.002), Crohn's disease (median 466; 95% CI 6-931 ng/ml; p = 0.005) and GI disease controls (median 446; 95% CI 196-688 ng/ml; p = 0.023). In ulcerative colitis, plasma D dimer was related to inflammatory parameters such as C-reactive protein (p < 0.01) and seromucoids (p < 0.001). Circulating D dimer was age-related in all groups (p < 0.05). Fibrin degradation, as reflected by plasma D dimer, is detected in patients with ulcerative colitis exhibiting a marked acute phase response.
authors.affiliation: Divisione Medicina Nucleare, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Biancone
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scopinaro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maletta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monteleone
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Luzza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Banci
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mercantini
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Renda
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pallone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D