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Bentham Science Publishers, Current Drug Targets, 17(23), p. 1593-1602, 2022

DOI: 10.2174/1389450123666220826162900

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Fibrinogen, Fibrin, and Fibrin Degradation Products in COVID-19

Journal article published in 2022 by Matthew J. Flick ORCID, Kadri Kangro ORCID, Alisa S. Wolberg ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the highly patho-genic and highly transmissible human coronavirus that is the causative agent for the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 manifests predominantly as a respiratory illness with symptoms consistent with viral pneumonia, but other organ systems (e.g., kidney, heart, brain) can also be-come perturbed in COVID-19 patients. Accumulating data suggest that significant activation of the hemostatic system is a common pathological manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The clotting protein fibrinogen is one of the most abundant plasma proteins. Following activation of coagulation, the central coagulation protease thrombin converts fibrinogen to fibrin monomers, which self-assemble to form a matrix, the primary structural component of the blood clot. Severe COVID-19 is associated with a profound perturbation of circulating fibrinogen, intra- and extravascular fibrin deposition and persistence, and fibrin degradation. Current findings suggest high levels of fibrino-gen and the fibrin degradation product D-dimer are biomarkers of poor prognosis in COVID-19. Moreover, emerging studies with in vitro and animal models indicate fibrin(ogen) as an active play-er in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Here, we review the current literature regarding fibrin(ogen) and COVID-19, including possible pathogenic mechanisms and treatment strategies centered on clotting and fibrin(ogen) function.