Association between plasma levels of D-dimer and fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products (FDP) for exclusion of thromboembolic disorders

Background: D-dimer and fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products (FDP) levels are elevated in subjects with thromboembolic disorders, and the assays for detection of D-dimer and FDP are used in many laboratories for the investigation of these disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the plasma levels of D-dimer and FDP in the investigation of thromboembolic disorders. Methods: D-dimer and FDP immunoassays were performed in 217 consecutive blood samples from subjects with suspected of thromboembolic disorders by use of Liatest D-dimer and Plasma FDP. Results: FDP results were classified in: < 5, 5-20, > 20 mu g/mL, and D-dimer levels obtained in these groups ranged to 350-1210 ng/mL, 420-1960 ng/mL, and 1190-51170 ng/mL, respectively. A significant association between D-dimer levels and the reaction times necessary to occur agglutination in latex agglutination test for FDP was observed. Conclusions: There was an association between plasma levels of D-dimer and FDP. The preliminary determination of FDP levels could be useful because it allows estimating the D-dimer levels before of the automated systems analysis, reducing costs associated to dilutions of plasma samples.