Effects of age, race, sex, and smoking on prothrombin fragment 1.2 in a healthy population.
Prothrombin fragment 1.2 (F1.2) is a biomarker of thrombin generation during blood coagulation and has diagnostic potential for assessing thrombotic risk and monitoring anticoagulation therapy. We used a monoclonal antibody-based immunoassay for plasma F1.2 to establish a well-defined reference interval and to evaluate the effects of age, race, sex, and smoking status on F1.2 concentrations in a healthy population. Plasma samples and demographic information were obtained from 357 healthy individuals. F1.2 concentrations more closely followed a lognormal than a gaussian frequency distribution. In a multiple linear-regression model in which the logarithms of F1.2 concentrations were regressed on age, race, sex, and smoking status, the significant explanatory variables were age and, to a lesser extent, sex and smoking. A segmented "hockey stick" regression model indicated that F1.2 concentrations and age were unrelated for individuals < 44 years old but were positively correlated above that age threshold. The estimated 95% tolerance interval (P = 0.95) for F1.2 in healthy individuals < 44 years old (n = 268) was 0.21-2.78 nmol/L. We conclude that age-matched F1.2 reference intervals may be important for studies evaluating the diagnostic utility of F1.2 measurements, and that the clinical relevance of increased thrombin generation during aging warrants further investigation.
Hursting
M J
MJ
Organon Teknika Corp., Durham, NC 27704.
Stead
A G
AG
Crout
F V
FV
Horvath
B Z
BZ
Moore
B M
BM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis*; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000032:analysis*; D044469:Racial Groups; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood*; D044465:White People
D010446:Peptide Fragments; C045879:prothrombin fragment 1.2; D011516:Prothrombin