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Q J Med 2000; 93: 745-750
© 2000 Association of Physicians

The relationship between elevated fibrinogen and markers of infection: a comparison of seasonal cycles

V.L.S. Crawford, O. Sweeney, P.V. Coyle2, I.M. Halliday1,* and R.W. Stout

From the Departments of Geriatric Medicine and 1 Surgery The Queen's University of Belfast 2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, UK

Received 17 July 2000 and in revised form 12 September 2000

To test the hypothesis that higher levels of fibrinogen in winter are related to infections via the acute phase response, we assessed seasonal variation in fibrinogen and C-reactive protein, together with three other responses to infection: white cell count, human herpesvirus-6 IgG antibody and interleukin-6. Monthly blood samples from 24 subjects aged 75+ years were assessed for fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, white cell count, and human herpesvirus-6 IgG antibody. Interleukin-6 was measured in seven. Seasonal variation of these measures was determined by the population-mean cosinor procedure. Fibrinogen had a significant seasonal variation with a winter peak (mid-February) 1.26 g/l above the corresponding summer trough. C-reactive protein had a late-February peak, 3.71 mg/l above the summer trough. No seasonal rhythm was found in any other response to infection investigated. This study provides no evidence that winter infections are responsible for the seasonal variation in fibrinogen or C-reactive protein. The explanation for the seasonal changes in these proteins remains unknown.

Address correspondence to Dr V.L.S. Crawford, Department of Geriatric Medicine, The Queen's University of Belfast, Whitla Medical Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL. e-mail: v.crawford{at}qub.ac.uk

* Dr Halliday died on 17 July 1999.


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