Forty-four patients (9 stage II, 15 sage III, 7 stage IV, and 13
in complete remission) with
Hodgkin's disease without any clinical coagulation disorder were studied.
Fibrinogen behavior was evaluated by measuring
fibrinogen level and using 1251-fibrinogen, the half-life, survival and
fibrinogen turnover. Platelet count and
fibrinogen/
fibrin degradation products (
FDP) were also assayed. The
fibrinogen half-life, survival and turnover were significantly longer and faster, than those found in 10 healthy subjects, in stage II, III and IV subjects (p less than 0.001, p less than 0.001, p less than 0.05 for stage II; p less than 0.001, p less than 0.001, p less than 0.001 for stage III; p less than 0.005, p less than 0.005, p less than 0.001 for stage IV, respectively). In most cases,
FDP values were within the normal range, although they were significantly higher than those of control group in stages III and IV. Intravascular coagulation and fibrinolysis were not found in the 13 patients with complete remission. In these patients, the behavior of
fibrinogen was normal, suggesting that the parameters studied are related to the presence of the
tumor, and can be useful in monitoring the state of remission.