title: Fibrin D-dimer, haemostatic factors and peripheral arterial disease.
abstract: Several haemostatic factors have been shown to have a predictive role in cardiovascular disease, although their relationship with prevalent peripheral arterial disease is not well reported. Using a random sample of 1592 men and women aged 55-74 years from Edinburgh, Scotland, we examined the relationship of von Willebrand factor (vWF), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and fibrin D-dimer antigens and factor VII activity to peripheral arterial disease. t-PA antigen and fibrin D-dimer showed significant linear trends of increased levels with increasing severity of disease in both sexes (p < or = 0.01) and vWF showed a similar pattern in men only (p < or = 0.01). On multivariate analysis, fibrin D-dimer was independently related to the risk of intermittent claudication (p < or = 0.01) and, among men, to the extent of arterial narrowing in the lower limb, as measured by the ankle brachial pressure index, (ABPI) (p < or = 0.001). These results are further evidence of a role for intravascular fibrin deposition in the development of peripheral atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Wolfson Unit for Prevention of Peripheral Vascular Diseases, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Fowkes
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rumley
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005167:Factor VII / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000032:analysis*; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D005167:Factor VII; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator