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• W2019358857 abstract "Objective. Plasma fibrinogen predicts cardiovascular events in patients with stable peripheral arterial occlusive disease, but its predictive value in patients with chronic critical limb ischaemia, a condition associated with a high risk of death, is unknown. Design. A prospective cohort study. Setting. Determination of fibrinogen and other potential predictors during clinic-based work-up of patients admitted for diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation. Subjects. A total of 108 patients (72 ± 10 years, 78 males) with atherosclerotic occlusive disease and critical limb ischaemia (pain at rest and/or trophic lesions) followed up for a median period of 1.6 years (range: 8 days–5.5 years; 218 patient-years). Main outcome measures. Total mortality. Results. Forty-five deaths (71% cardiovascular) occurred during the follow-up. Baseline fibrinogen was higher in those who died in the early follow-up period (first 6 months), as were white cell count and serum creatinine, while haematocrit was lower. Plasma fibrinogen values correlated positively with white cell count, and negatively with haematocrit; other cardiovascular prognostic factors did not differ. Only plasma fibrinogen predicted survival independently in multivariate age-corrected Cox regression analysis. Relative risk of death doubled for each standard deviation above the mean and increased with each tertile increase in fibrinogen. Conclusions. Fibrinogen predicted death in these elderly arteriopaths with critical limb ischaemia, particularly those who died in the first months following critical ischaemia. Inflammatory stimuli secondary to severely defective tissue oxygenation and possibly sepsis and necrosis, might have stimulated fibrinogen, an acute-phase reactant, thereby compromising organ perfusion through increased blood viscosity and/or promoting thrombosis. Plasma fibrinogen levels are consistently increased in patients with stable peripheral arterial occlusive disease [ e.g. 1–5] – the higher the concentration, the worse the extent of vascular disease as determined by angiography [ 6]. This finding has prognostic implications, as raised fibrinogen concentrations have been found in still healthy subjects who subsequently progressed to peripheral vascular disease [ 7]. Similarly, prospective observation of patients with clinically evident peripheral arterial occlusive disease demonstrated a close link between elevated baseline fibrinogen levels and progression of peripheral arterial disease [ 8], graft occlusion after femoropopliteal vein bypass [ 9] and mortality, both cardiovascular and overall [ 8, 10, 11]. Thus, by now the role of fibrinogen as a risk factor for an adverse evolution of stable peripheral arterial occlusive disease seems established [ 12]. However, no information exists on fibrinogen as a prognostic predictor in that portion of patients [ 13, 14] in whom arterial disease has progressed to chronic critical limb ischaemia [ 15], a clinical condition characterized by elevated risk of death [ 16–18]. The cohort included 108 consecutive, mainly elderly (85% > 65 years) subjects recruited between 28 January 1991 and 6 July 1996 from the area of Pisa and neighbouring geographical districts of Leghorn and Lucca. Patients were admitted for diagnostic screening (including angiography in all, as well as echocardiogram and cardiac stress tests in most, followed by coronary angiography as deemed necessary) for atherosclerotic peripheral arterial occlusive disease, chronic critical limb ischaemia and associated diseases. The diagnostic criteria for chronic critical limb ischaemia were defined as pain at rest for at least 15 days, requiring intensive analgesic treatment (n = 27, four females, stage Fontaine III, age: 70 ± 9 years) and/or trophic lesions (n = 81, 26 females, stage Fontaine IV, age: 72 ± 10 years). After discharge from the clinic, 79 patients underwent major limb salvage surgery (n = 62) and/or amputation (n = 17), without any intra- or perioperative deaths. Patients in whom surgery was technically impossible (n = 29) were referred for antalgic treatment and/or spinal cord stimulation. The single criterion for inclusion in the study was the presence of angiographically assessed atherosclerotic peripheral arterial occlusive disease; patients on oral anticoagulants or fibrates at baseline were excluded. Follow-up started upon admission to the clinic and survival was checked by telephone yearly from 1991 to 1996. Death from any cause or final ascertainment of survival in the last week of July 1996 ended the census. One patient was lost to follow-up after the first annual screening and censored accordingly. Final diagnosis was assessed through death certificates, verified in most by review of medical records and/or interviews with family members and the general practitioner, and/or autopsy records (n = 3). Fatalities were classified as (1) cardiovascular, (2) neoplastic, and (3) miscellaneous. Patients and families were aware of the reason for the inquiry and agreed to participate. Blood samples for plasma fibrinogen concentrations were drawn after an overnight fast in tubes containing trisodium citrate 0.13 mm L−1 (one volume per nine of blood). Fibrinogen was measured photometrically (Electra 1000C, Medical Laboratory Automation Inc., Pleasantville, USA) according to the prothrombin time-derived method (Dade SpA, Roma, Italy) [ 19]. The internal reference plasma samples used to assess reproducibility showed a mean monthly variation coefficient of 4.8%. Total cholesterol and triglycerides were assayed by enzymatic colorimetric techniques (Boehringer-Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany), white cell count (WCC) and haematocrit by automated methods (H1 Technicon, Cavenago Brianza, Bayer Diagnostici, Italy), glucose and serum creatinine by standard techniques, and blood pressure (BP) by mercury sphygmomanometer. Simultaneous systolic BP determinations in the right forearm and both ankles were obtained through an 8 MHz linear Doppler probe (Stereodop, Promelec, Bourgeais, Guer, France). Ankle brachial index (ABI), an indicator of the haemodynamic severity of vascular disease [ 20], was expressed as the ratio of brachial to either tibial or pedal systolic pressure, whichever was higher [ 21]. ABI measurements were the values either at the leg with complaints or at the leg with the lowest value in the presence of bilateral disease. Definition of categorical variables. Diabetes was any fasting venous blood glucose value above 140 mg dL−1, 2 h postload glucose > 200 mg dL−1 and/or current antidiabetic treatment. Hypertenson was defined as at least three systolic BP readings > 140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP > 90 mmHg, and/or current antihypertensive treatment. Total cholesterol and triglyceride status were dichotomized by taking values of 200 and 170 mg dL−1, respectively, as cut-offs. Smoking status was categorized as ‘current’, ‘former’ (having quit at least 1 year prior) and ‘never-smoker’. Descriptive statistics are expressed as mean ± standard deviation, or median (range) for skewed data. Statistical differences in the distribution of single characteristics were tested by univariate methods (unpaired two-tailed t-test and one-way analysis of variance for continuous variables, or χ2 statistics for discrete variables with Yates' correction). Pearson's correlation coefficients and standardized mortality rates per 100 patient-years were calculated by standard techniques. To allow for differing follow-up intervals, univariate analysis of mortality was performed using the proportional hazard model to account for censored data and correlation with covariates. Independent predictors of death were identified by age-corrected, multivariate, stepwise Cox regression, introducing only those variables related univariately to outcome with a P-value below 0.05. Analysis did not include ABI values as, out of 108 patients, data were missing in 36, and not measurable in 17 due to arterial calcification. Relative risk (RR) (technically hazard ratios) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were standardized by 1 SD for continuous values and to the bottom group for stratified parameters. The level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Calculations were performed using Statgraphics Plus (Manugistic Inc., Release 1997, Rockville, MD, USA) and EGRET (SERC, © 1985–93, Seattle, WA, USA). Demographic and clinical characteristics of the cohort are shown in Table 1. Females (n ± 30) were older (76 ± 7 vs. 70 ± 10 years, P < 0.001) than males (n = 78), with higher blood glucose levels [105 (65–338) vs. 93 (59–303) mg dL−1, P < 0.01], greater prevalence of diabetes (56.7 vs. 30.7%, P < 0.02), and a lower proportion of smokers (9 vs. 42%, P < 0.001). Plasma fibrinogen levels did not differ significantly between the two sexes [females: 3.6 (2.2–8.8) vs. males: 4.1 (1.5–9) g L−1]. WCC (r = 0.47, P < 0.000 01) and serum creatinine (r = 0.43, P < 0.000 01) correlated positively, and haematocrit negatively (r = −0.31, P < 0.001), with fibrinogen. Fibrinogen was comparable between diabetics and non-diabetics [4 (1.5–9) vs. 3.8 (2.1–9) g L−1]. No variable showed a statistically significant relationship with age. Median ABI was 0.3 (0–0.6, n = 55) and was unrelated to plasma fibrinogen (r = 0.02). Forty-five fatal events (36 cardiovascular, Table 2) were identified during a median follow-up of 1.6 years (8 days–5.5 years, for a total of 218 patient-years) ( Fig. 1a), with no differences in death rates between patients with rest pain and those with trophic lesions (9/27 vs. 36/81, respectively). Proportion of patients surviving at a given time during follow-up (Kaplan-Meier estimation method). The analysis shows time-to-death in the whole (n= 108, left panel), as well as in patients categorised by fibrinogen tertiles (cut-off points : 3.3, 4.5 g/L−1). See the main text for risk ratios. Legends report deaths in each category. The number of patients remaining alive and in-study at the beginning of each 12-month period is shown below the graphs. The deceased tended to be older (75 ± 9 vs. 70 ± 10 years, P < 0.006) with higher fibrinogen [4.4 (2.1–9.) vs. 3.3 (1.5–8.8) g L−1, P < 0.001, and Fig. 1b for data categorized in tertiles], WCC [84 (25–178) vs. 76 (37–154) × 106 cells L−1, P < 0.04] and serum creatinine [114.9 (53–389) vs. 97.2 (53–380) µmol L−1, P < 0.04], and lower haematocrit (37.8 ± 4.4 vs. 40.2 ± 6%, P < 0.01) at baseline. Other potential prognostic factors, such as diabetes and hypertension prevalence, smoking status, cholesterol, triglyceride and BP levels, were comparable. No significant difference was found between patients who died and those who survived with regard to the presence upon admission of coronary (40 vs. 24%) or cerebrovascular (17.7 vs. 14.3%) disease, or congestive heart failure (11.1 vs. 4.8%). Twenty-three deaths (96% cardiovascular) occurred within 6 months, 11 (64% cardiovascular) within 2 years, and 11 (82% cardiovascular) after 2 years of follow-up ( Table 2); the corresponding standardized mortality rates were 340.7, 29.8 and 6.3 events (100 patient-years)−1. Plasma fibrinogen was the only baseline parameter (including age and others reported in Table 1) distinguishing (P < 0.01) early (< 6 months) from later events ( Fig. 2). Plasma fibrinogen by time of death during follow-up. Box-and-whisker plot of baseline plasma fibrinogen distribution in patients dying within and after 6 months, as well as survivors at the end of the follow-up. Higher (P < 0.01) plasma fibrinogen distinguishes early events from later ones and censored observations. The central box encloses the middle 50% of the data, and the median is plotted as a cross. Vertical lines (whiskers) extend from each end of the box and cover four interquartile ranges. Points identify outliers. Of the full set of baseline parameters ( Table 1), fibrinogen (P < 0.001, standardized RR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.75–2.34), serum creatinine (P < 0.001, standardized RR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.02–1.6), WCC (P < 0.037, standardized RR = 3, 95% CI = 2.76–3.28) and haematocrit (P < 0.04, standardized RR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.89–0.99) were significantly related to survival in univariate age-corrected Cox regressions. Only fibrinogen was independently related to mortality (P < 0.001, standardized RR = 2.03. 95% CI = 1.82–2.44) when the variables were subjected to multivariate age-corrected analysis according to the proportional hazard model. When fibrinogen distribution was divided in tertiles (cut-off points 3.3 and 4.5 g L−1), the risk of death approximately doubled with each tertile increase (2nd vs. 1st tertile: RR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.1–5.6, P < 0.03; 3rd vs. 1st tertile: RR = 4.1, 95% CI = 1.9–8.8, P < 0.0001; Fig. 2, left panel). The main and original finding of this longitudinal observation of elderly patients with chronic critical limb ischaemia is the association of elevated plasma fibrinogen with the relative risk of death. Mortality doubled for each standard deviation above the mean and increased in a graded manner with each tertile increase in fibrinogen, indicating that a specific threshold effect is lacking. The data strengthen fibrinogen's role as a predictor of mortality and are consistent with results obtained in stable claudicants [ 8, 10], geriatric patients [ 22], subjects with coronary artery disease [ 23] and even men [ 24, 25] and women [ 7] without obvious disease upon commencement of follow-up. Thus, our results confirm [ 16–18] the ominous implications for life expectancy of the appearance of resting pain and/or trophic lesions in previously uncomplicated peripheral arterial occlusive disease patients. However, protracted observation also showed lack of uniformity in the disease course of this group of critical limb ischaemia patients. In fact, an early period of exceedingly rapid accrual of mainly cardiovascular deaths was followed by a later phase in which demises occurred at a progressively slower rate and were less frequently due to cardiovascular causes. The reasons for such heterogeneous behaviour, unrecognized in previous follow-ups limited to 1 year or less [ 16–18], are unclear. In this regard, it is noteworthy that, of all the potential prognostic factors considered, elevated fibrinogen was the only parameter distinguishing the subset of patients with a more aggressive disease evolution. One might hypothesize that the existence of abnormal fibrinogen predated the development of critical limb ischaemia, perhaps as a consequence of a more advanced and progressive atherosclerotic process in these patients [ 6, 26]. However, this possibility is unlikely, firstly because fibrinogen levels were independent of ABI, a surrogate measure of systemic atherosclerosis [ 27] and haemodynamic severity of regional disease [ 21], and secondly, because the distribution of coronary, cerebrovascular and myocardial disease upon admission did not differ markedly between those who died during the following years and those who did not. Lack of differences linked to diabetes, age and sex is not surprising, as it concurs with findings in the general elderly population [ 28–30]. Interestingly enough, in the univariate analysis, fibrinogen showed a statistically significant positive association with serum creatinine, suggesting some link with worsening renal function. However, as no data are available for conditions less extreme than end-stage renal failure [ 31], we cannot speculate on this potentially interesting finding. Furthermore, other frequent correlates of fibrinogen, such as cholesterol, triglycerides, BP and smoking [ 28, 29], showed distributions independent of the outcome. Thus, the impact of those biological factors previously shown in both stable claudicants [ 4, 5] and healthy elderly populations [ 28–30] was probably overcome by stronger stimuli in our patients, particularly in the subgroup with the most progressive and unfavourable course of disease. Fibrinogen, an acute-phase protein [ 32], may respond to inflammatory stimuli triggered by the drastically reduced tissue oxygenation typical of chronic critical limb ischaemia [ 33], especially if complicated by sepsis and necrosis. Normalization of fibrinogen after successful vascular surgery of critically ischaemic limbs [ 34] implies that tissue ischaemia may indeed stimulate hepatic fibrinogen synthesis, possibly through interleukin-6 produced by activated monocytes [ 32]. The positive correlation with leucocyte levels is consistent with such a hypothesis, although the present evidence cannot be considered conclusive, as similar trends have been reported in elderly subjects unaffected by peripheral vascular disease [ 28, 29]. The influence of reactive components on fibrinogen is also consistent with the lower baseline haematocrit in those patients who died during the subsequent follow-up, as inflammatory processes depress haematopoiesis in a manner roughly proportional to the duration and severity of disease [ 35]. Similar inferences can be drawn from the tendency towards decreasing packed-cell volume with increasing fibrinogen values, an association opposite to that reported in uncomplicated subjects [ 36] and in contrast with conceptions of haematocrit as a prognostic predictor positively related to clinical events [ 36, 37]. However, even non-specific fibrinogen stimulation might still be a relevant chain in the link of events eventually leading to death, for example by compromising organ perfusion through increased blood viscosity [ 38] or by activating thrombosis [ 39]. On the other hand, the possibility that elevated fibrinogen levels may be a consequence, rather than a cause, of disease cannot be discounted. The nature of such an association will be clarified only by selective pharmacological lowering of fibrinogen. In conclusion, plasma fibrinogen levels were found to be an independent predictor of early cardiovascular death in elderly peripheral arterial occlusive disease patients with critical limb ischaemia, in whom fibrinogen stimulation, perhaps related to inflammatory processes consequent to drastically impaired limb perfusion, may have contributed to the development of clinical events. However, further trials, possibly using specific fibrinogen inhibitors, are needed to confirm the precise mechanisms involved. The authors are grateful to Mr Lorenzo Evangelisti (II Clinica Medica, Università di Pisa) for conducting the fibrinogen assays. This paper was presented in preliminary form at the 6th Congress of the European Society of Atherosclerosis, 13–17 July 1996, Florence, Italy; the 46th Meeting of the American Society of Cardiology, 16–19 March 1997, Anaheim, CA, USA; the 19th Congress of the European Society of Cardiology, 24–28 August 1997, Stockolm, Sweden; and the 11th European Congress of Angiology, 23–26 October 1997, Rome, Italy. Received 10 December 1997; accepted 15 May 1998." @default.
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• W2019358857 title "Fibrinogen and mortality in chronic critical limb ischaemia" @default.
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