Plasma Levels of Prothrombin Fragment F1+2, D-dimer and Prothrombin Time Correlate with Clinical Stage and Lymph Node Metastasis in Operable Gastric Cancer Patients

Abstract

The principal objective of this study was to determine the relationship between preoperative coagulation tests and the extent of tumor involvement in gastric cancer patients. A total of 110 patients with adenocarcinoma of the stomach were studied in order to evaluate this relationship. Platelet count (P), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time, D-dimer, fibrinogen degradation product, thrombin-antithrombin complex and prothrombin fragment F1+2 (F1+2) were evaluated. The D-dimer levels were positively correlated with the depth of invasion (P =0.007). Plasma D-dimer and PT were highly correlated with degree of lymph node involvement (P = 0.006, 0.004, respectively). D-dimer level, PT and plasma F1+2 level were correlated with clinical stage (P = 0.001, 0.017, 0.031, respectively). PT and F1+2 levels were significant in the prediction of the presence of lymph node involvement on the multivariate logistic regression models (odds ratio 2502.081 (5.977-1047425.4); P = 0.010 and odds ratio 19.487 (1.495-253.936); P = 0.023, respectively). PT and plasma levels of F1+2 and D-dimer could be markers of degree or presence of lymph node involvement and clinical stage in patients with operable gastric cancer.