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The protective rather than prothrombotic fibrinogen in COVID‐19 and other inflammatory states
Author(s) -
Thachil Jecko
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of thrombosis and haemostasis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.947
H-Index - 178
eISSN - 1538-7836
pISSN - 1538-7933
DOI - 10.1111/jth.14942
Subject(s) - fibrinogen , coagulopathy , coagulation , thrombosis , medicine , covid-19 , immunology , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Hypercoagulability has been recognized as a common complication of COVID‐19. Exact mechanisms for this extreme coagulation activation have not yet been elucidated. However, one of the consistent laboratory finding is the increase in fibrinogen, in some cases, marked elevation. High circulating levels of fibrinogen have been linked to thrombosis for years and for this reason, hyperfibrinogenemia is considered one of the mechanisms for COVID‐19 coagulopathy. In this forum article, instead of the prothrombotic role, a protective function for fibrinogen is discussed. Fibrinogen, like the other well‐known acute phase reactants, is increased in COVID‐19 possibly to protect the host.