[Fibrinogen. An old hemostatic protein with a new function: non-invasive marker of subclinical atherosclerosis].
The formation of a fibrin clot is one of the key events in atherothrombotic vascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke and peripheral arterial disease. Fibrin is formed from a circulating precursor, fibrinogen, by the action of thrombin. Both genetic and environmental factors are important determinants of the circulating fibrinogen levels. Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a role for this hemostatic protein in the prediction of cardiovascular disease. As an acute-phase reactant, fibrinogen is also a marker of inflammation. Likewise, recent studies from our group have shown that increased fibrinogen levels represent a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, likely to be useful in the identification of asymptomatic subjects at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Páramo
José A
JA
Laboratorio de Aterosclerosis, Servicio de Hematología, Clínica Universitaria, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, España.
Rodríguez
José A
JA
Orbe
Josune
J
D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006490:Hemostatics / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans
D015415:Biomarkers; D006490:Hemostatics; D005340:Fibrinogen