Scientific Reports (Jul 2017)
Age-related diagnostic value of D-dimer testing and the role of inflammation in patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis
Abstract
Abstract Previous reports have investigated the impact of age on D-Dimer testing in elderly individuals with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but data on the age-related diagnostic value of D-dimer in a sample covering a broad age range are limited. The present study determined age-specifically the diagnostic accuracy of D-dimer and compared it to C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, in 500 patients with suspected DVT from the VTEval project (NCT02156401). Sensitivity of D-dimer was lower in patients 0.05). In conclusion, these data outline a clinically-relevant limitation of D-dimer testing among younger patients with suspected DVT indicating a necessity for age-adapted cut-off values. Further research is required to decrypt the role of inflammation in the pathophysiology and diagnosis of venous thrombosis.