Effect of Fibrinogen Genotype and Other Characteristics on Plasma Fibrinogen Levels

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of fibrinogen genotype and other characteristics on the plasma fibrinogen levels. Many studies have conformed that high plasma fibrinogen levels are associated with the increased risk of ischaemic heart disease, stroke and arterial disease. And fibrinogen levels are related with age, obesity, cholesterol and alcohol consumption, genotypes. For this study the blood samples were collected from 93 healthy Koreans (66 males and 27 females). The blood samples were individually analyzed by smoking status, cholesterol levels, genotype, age, and gender. The plasma fibrinogen was assayed by clotting method (modified Clauss assay) and cholesterol was assayed by cholesterol oxidase method. Subjects were classified by current smokers, ex-smokers (<6 month), or nonsmokers. The $\beta$-fibrinogen genotype was detected by PCR of relevant region and digestion with HaeIII, with the H$_1$H$_1$ allele allowing cleavage by this restriction enzyme and H$_2$H$_2$ allele being refractory. In conclusion, the study shows that the factor of the increasement in the fibrinogen level was closely related with the cholesterol level, smoking status and genotype (H$_1$H$_2$); but there was no significant difference by gender, Especially, among the people over 50 years of age, fibrinogen level was higher with the increasement of cholesterol level (<200 mg/dl), current smoker, and genotype H$_1$H$_2$.