title: Prognostic value of plasma fibrinogen concentration in patients with unstable angina and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (TIMI IIIB Trial)
abstract: Inflammation may play an important role in acute coronary syndromes. We studied the prognostic value of fibrinogen, an acute-phase protein directly involved in thrombotic process, measured serially in 1,473 patients with unstable angina and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction participating in the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction IIIB trial. Overall, no association was found between baseline (pretreatment) fibrinogen and in-hospital (< or = 10 days) myocardial infarction (p=0.70) and death (p=0.64); however, patients with spontaneous ischemia (p=0.004) and the combined unsatisfactory outcome of death, myocardial infarction, and spontaneous ischemia (p=0.003) had higher fibrinogen concentrations than those without these events. This association was confined to patients with unstable angina. A baseline fibrinogen concentration > or = 300 mg/dl was associated with a modest trend toward an increased risk of death, myocardial infarction, or spontaneous ischemia (odds ratio 1.61, 95% confidence interval 1.02 to 2.52; p=0.04). Elevation of fibrinogen, a readily measurable acute-phase protein, at the time of hospital admission is associated with coronary ischemic events and a poor clinical outcome in patients with unstable angina.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Thrombosis Research Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Cannon
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Bovill
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Tracy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Knatterud
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Randall
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Braunwald
mesh_terms: D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D005340:Fibrinogen; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator