Response of plasma fibrinogen and plasminogen to hormone treatment and the relation of pretreatment values to mortality in patients with prostatic cancer

Abstract

Fibrinogen and plasminogen were measured in plasma samples from prostatic cancer patients before and after 3 months of treatment with either Premarin, Provera, Provera and diethylstilbestrol, one of three doses of diethylstilbestrol, o r placebo. Plasminogen levels generally were increased significantly with the estrogens but were unchanged following placebo o r Provera treatment. Pretreatment plasminogen levels in Study 3 were significantly lower ( p << .001) than in Study 2. Plasminogen pretreatment levels were significantly correlated with age, hemoglobin, body weight, and blood pressure. Fibrinogen pretreatment levels were significantly elevated above normal. They were not significantly correlated with age, hemoglobin, body weight, or blood pressure. Fibrinogen levels generally were significantly decreased by the estrogens. Comparisons of means of pretreatment fibrinogen and plasminogen levels from patients dying during the first year of the study with the mean pretreatment levels of the patient group alive after 1 year on study yielded no significant differences. Death rates were calculated by pretreatment plasminogen o r fibrinogen for all treatments of all Stage I11 and Stage IV patients combined for Study 2 and Study 3 separately. Such rates were calculated for all causes combined and for deaths from prostatic cancer or cardiovascular disease separately. The levels of plasminogen were significantly negatively correlated with death rate from all causes combined and with cardiovascular disease considered separately, but not with death from prostatic cancer. The levels of fibrinogen were significantly positively correlated with death rates from all causes and nearly significantly with prostatic cancer, but not cardiovascular disease. Elevated pretreatment fibrinogen levels were associated with an increased proportion of deaths at 1 year from all causes and from cancer of the prostate.

The association of an elevated plasma fibrinogen level with cancer-specific and overall survival in prostate cancer patients

“…In contrast, Seal and colleagues showed a significant decrease of fibrinogen levels after treatment with estrogens in patients stage III and IV prostate cancer. Additionally, the authors reported a significant correlation of elevated pre-treatment fibrinogen levels with overall mortality and a trend for an association between elevated fibrinogen levels and prostate cancer mortality [22].…”

Bleeding time and Clotting Time in Healthy Male and Female College Students of Karukutty Village, Kerala

“…(3) Higher clotting time in females may be due to presence of estrogen which prolongs clotting time by decreasing plasma fibrinogen levels. (35) Researchers found significantly lower concentration of fibrinogen in women taking oral hormone replacement therapy vs. the control group. (36) Low doses of 17beta-estradio (E2) and norethisterone acetate (NETA) induced significantly lower plasma levels of factor VII, fibrinogen, antithrombin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), compared with placebo treatment.…”

Hemostasis in malignancy

“…These include Factor X deficiency with thymoma [74], Factor XI11 deficiency with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, and CGL [75]. In one study [76] of patients with prostate carcinoma, increased fibrinogen levels at the time of diagnosis were associated with high death rates during the first year. Decreased fibrinolysis has also been described in patients with untreated acute leukemia, and this finding shared a significant correlation with the pressence of DIC [77].…”