title: Plasma d-dimer levels increase with the severity of community acquired pneumonia.
abstract: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of the plasma D-Dimer (D-d) level and the severity of the pneumonia in patients who have not any disease that may increase the D-d level, but pneumonia. This is prospective controlled study. Using the ATS 2001 Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) Guideline we divided the patients into two groups [severe (n= 14) and non-severe (n= 37) CAP] and looked for any significant difference in D-d levels with ELISA method among the patients groups and control group. Plasma D-d levels were 2438 +/- 2158 ng/mL in severe CAP group, 912.6 +/- 512.6 ng/mL in non-severe CAP group and 387 +/- 99.56 ng/mL in the control group. Patients with non-severe CAP and those with severe CAP group both showed an increase in plasma levels of D-d compared to control group (p< 0.05, p< 0.001, respectively). We also found that the severe CAP group had increased in plasma levels of D-d compared to the non-severe CAP group (p< 0.001). Plasma D-d level increases significantly in patients with CAP compared to control group. Plasma D-d levels increases significantly with the severity of the CAP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. guneysel@mynet.com
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Güneysel
authors.forename: Serpil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pirmit
authors.forename: Sait
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karakurt
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D