Soluble fibrin, c-reactive protein, fibrinogen, factor VII, antithrombin, proteins C and S, tissue factor, D-dimer, and prothrombin fragment 1+2 in men with acute myocardial infarction ≤45 years of age

To evaluate the contribution of hematologic factors and long-term inflammation to the development of myocardial infarction at a young age, we measured hematologic variables, including soluble fibrin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, in 90 patients who had myocardial infarction and 138 controls :545 years of age. Plasma levels of soluble fibrin and C-reactive protein were significantly higher in patients than in controls. On multivariate regression analysis, soluble fibrin was the strongest predictor of myocardial infarction at a young age. (C) 2004 by Excerpta Medica Inc.