title: [D-dimer determination in suspected deep venous thrombosis or lung embolism].
abstract: Cleavage of crosslinked fibrin by the fibrinolytic enzyme plasmin leads to the formation of fibrin degradation products, among them D-dimers. D-Dimer can easily be measured in plasma or in whole blood by means of monoclonal antibodies directed against epitopes of the D-dimer fragment. Elevated plasma levels of D-dimers are characteristic for patients with venous thromboembolism (DVT, PE), but occur also in patients with infectious diseases, malignant neoplasms and heart failure. Given the high sensitivity of ELISA D-dimer assays with respect to venous thromboembolism it is possible to reliably rule out DVT or PE when the plasma concentration of D-dimer is below the cut-off level. Thus, it is possible to rule out DVT in about 30% of outpatients with suspected venous thromboembolism by the measurement of D-dimer-concentration with a validated assay avoiding further diagnostic procedures.
authors.affiliation: Angiologische Abteilung, Kantonsspital, Aarau.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caliezi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holtz
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Wuillemin
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D