Fibrinogen is a major cardiovascular disease risk factor and is an independent predictor of coronary heart disease and stroke. Normal reference levels are approximately 2 to 4 g/L. Elevated levels are associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular disease-related events. The risk of increased bleeding in major surgery is inversely correlated with fibrinogen concentrations for concentrations below the upper limit of the reference interval, i.e., <4 g/L. Determination of the clottable fibrinogen concentration in plasma is, thus, important for the investigation of coagulation disturbances in patients. A novel assay for monitoring plasma fibrinogen content has been developed on the basis of a simple, single use lateral flow microfluidic device. A 15 microL plasma sample is applied to and travels along the microstructured device where it comes into contact with a thrombin reagent. This induces conversion of the soluble fibrinogen to insoluble fibrin and brings about clot formation. Lateral sample flow is arrested as a result of clotting, and the distance along the device at which this occurs has been shown to be dependent on the fibrinogen concentration. The test range was from 1 to 7 g/L of fibrinogen in undiluted patient plasma, and a result could be obtained within 5 min.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.