Correlation between fibrinogen level and cerebral infarction.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the correlation between plasma fibrinogen level and cerebral infarction (CI) as well as the difference of fibrinogen among subtypes of CI.

METHODS

A case-controlled study was conducted with 131 cases of CI and 148 controls. Plasma fibrinogen levels were detected by the Clauss method.

RESULTS

High fibrinogen level (3.09 +/- 0.94 g/L) was correlated with CI (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.51-4.04, P < 0.005) at the onset stage of the disease. Persistent high fibrinogen level (3.14 +/- 0.81 g/L) at 6-month after stroke onset was detected and correlated with CI (OR = 4.34, 95% CI: 1.80-10.51, P = 0.001). Higher fibrinogen level was correlated with total anterior circulation infarction (TACI), partial anterior circulation infarction (PACI), and posterior circulation infarction (POCI) (OR = 4.008, P < 0.001). Higher fibrinogen level was correlated with extracranial atherosclerosis (OR = 3.220, P < 0.05, but not with intracranial atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSION

Fibrinogen level may be a risk factor of CI and probably correlates with subtypes of CI and distributions of atherosclerosis.