Fibrinogen metabolism in the lungs.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the pulmonary vessel endothelium in the metabolism of fibrinogen (FBG), by measuring the FBG, D-dimer, and fibrin(ogen) degradation product levels in the blood from pulmonary and radial arteries from 99 patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass. For comparison, protein C, protein S, and factor VII, were also measured. The results showed, with respect to the pulmonary arterial blood levels, significantly lower FBG levels (3.72 +/- 0.83 vs 3.66 +/- 0.81 g/L; P < .001) and higher fibrin(ogen) degradation product levels (7.36 +/- 1.53 vs 8.15 +/- 1.59 mg/L; P < .000 01) in the radial arterial blood. No difference was found for d -dimer, protein C, protein S, and factor VII. The study demonstrated that the pulmonary capillary endothelium contributes to the FBG catabolism for about a 0.02 fractional rate and support the view of an endothelial FBG catabolic pathway as the main catabolic pathway, owing to the fact that the pulmonary endothelial surface is about a 0.1 fraction of the peripheral vessel endothelial surface.
Aliberti
Giuseppe
G
Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Italy. giuseppe.aliberti@uniroma.it
Pulignano
Isabella
I
Schiappoli
Angelo
A
Ceci
Fabrizio
F
Tritapepe
Luigi
L
Di Giovanni
Claudio
C
Trappolini
Massimo
M
Proietta
Maria
M
D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005167:Factor VII / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011486:Protein C / Q000378:metabolism; D017293:Protein S / Q000378:metabolism; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000378:metabolism; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism; D013917:Thrombin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000378:metabolism
D011486:Protein C; D017293:Protein S; D005167:Factor VII; D005340:Fibrinogen; D013925:Thromboplastin; D013917:Thrombin