Predictive utility of plasma fibrinogen level in B-cell lymphoma: a single-center cohort study

Abstract Background Recent reports have demonstrated an association between high fibrinogen levels and the prognosis of patients with B-cell lymphoma; still, the current evidence is inconclusive. Thus, we assessed the association between plasma fibrinogen level and the treatment response of B-cell lymphoma patients. Patients and methods In this descriptive cohort study, newly diagnosed B-cell lymphoma patients who attended a tertiary hospital were included and followed up after treatment. Plasma fibrinogen level was assessed at baseline and at6 months after treatment. Results Twenty-six patients were included. The pretreatment fibrinogen level (496.9 ± 177.2) was significantly higher than the posttreatment (357.9 ± 165.7) (P<0.05). Cases with response to treatment had significantly lower fibrinogen levels (pretreatment and posttreatment) than cases without response to treatment (P<0.05). The plasma pretreatment fibrinogen had significant predictive value for response to treatment at a cutoff level less than or equal to 597 mg/dl, with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 57.1%. Likewise, the posttreatment fibrinogen had significant predictive value for response to treatment at a cutoff level less than or equal to 342 mg/dl, with a sensitivity of 91.7% and specificity of 71.4%. Conclusion Fibrinogen is a simple, affordable, and highly sensitive biomarker for patients with B-cell lymphoma. Elevate plasma fibrinogen is associated with worse clinical outcomes in patients with B-cell lymphoma. Further multicentric studies with larger sample sizes and longer duration of follow-ups are required to validate these findings.