Evidence for circulating fibrin in familial Mediterranean fever
Mosesson, M.W.; Wautier, J.L.; Amrani, D.L.; Dervichian, M.; Cattan, D.
Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 99(4): 559-567
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-2143 PMID: 7061928 Document Number: 184155
Cryofibrinogenemia was found in 10 of 24 plasma samples (42%) from subjects with FMF [familial Mediterranean fever]. This precipitate was found during active disease as well as during intervals between crises. A higher incidence of cryofibrinogenemia was found in subjects with mild to moderately severe disease not being treated with colchicine (6 of 8) as compared with colchicine-treated subjects who were in partial or complete clinical remission (4 of 16; P < 0.02). All cryofibrinogen precipitates contained fibrin, as assessed by electrophoretic analyses showing the presence of multimeric crosslinked forms of fibrin(ogen) linked by .gamma.-dimers. This finding in clinical specimens supports the hypothesis that fibrin is an obligatory component of cryofibrinogen. Fibrin was also found in HPF [heparin-precipitable fraction] (2 of 6 specimens) prepared from cryofibrinogen-negative FMF plasmas, showing that soluble forms of fibrin are even more prevalent in this disorder than is indicated by the frequent finding of cryofibrinogenemia.