title: Elevated fibrin-related markers in patients with malignant diseases suspected of having thrombotic disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most patients with malignant diseases are frequently complicated with some type of thrombosis, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT)/pulmonary embolism (PE).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The cohort and retrospective study was designed to examine the frequency of thrombosis in patients with malignant diseases and to evaluate the efficacy of D-dimer and soluble fibrin (SF) for the diagnosis of thrombosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The plasma concentrations of D-dimer and SF were measured in patients with malignant diseases suspected of having thrombosis. D-dimer and SF were measured using a latex aggregation assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thrombosis was observed in 23.3% of the patients with malignant diseases. Disseminated intravascular coagulation was frequently observed in patients with hepatoma, and DVT/PE was frequently observed in patients with colon cancer, lung cancer, and uterine cancer. The plasma levels of D-dimer and SF were increased in malignant diseases, especially hepatoma. Plasma levels of D-dimer and SF were significantly higher in patients with thrombosis in comparison to patients without thrombosis. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed the D-dimer and SF levels to be useful in the diagnosis of thrombosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated D-dimer and SF levels might indicate a high risk of thrombosis in patients with malignant disease; however, these assays still need to be standardized.
authors: Department of Oncology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
authors: Hideki
authors: H
authors: Nomura
authors: Hideo
authors: H
authors: Wada
authors: Toshiro
authors: T
authors: Mizuno
authors: Yoshiki
authors: Y
authors: Yamashita
authors: Kanako
authors: K
authors: Saito
authors: Shigehisa
authors: S
authors: Kitano
authors: Naoyuki
authors: N
authors: Katayama
authors: Norikazu
authors: N
authors: Yamada
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Sugiyama
authors: Akihiro
authors: A
authors: Sudo
authors: Masanobu
authors: M
authors: Usui
authors: Shuji
authors: S
authors: Isaji
authors: Tsutomu
authors: T
authors: Nobori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005337:Fibrin / Q000032:analysis*; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D005337:Fibrin