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.