Abstract
PURPOSE: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic, chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects the large intestine. Coagulation abnormalities have been detected in UC patients. This study aimed to evaluate coagulation-related parameters in patients with UC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 364 UC patients were analyzed with 163 female and 201 male. Disease activity was determined according to the Truelove and Witts criteria. The fibrinogen (FIB), D-dimer, fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels were evaluated. RESULTS: We found higher D-dimer, FDP, FIB levels in severe UC compared with non-severe patients.The area under the curve (AUC) of D-dimer was 0.852 (95% CI 0.805 to 0.898) and the optimum cut-off point was 0.585, with a sensitivity of 80.6% and a specificity of 78.9%. Furthermore, D-dimer and FIB are positively correlated with ESR and CRP levels. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that D-dimer, FDP, and FIB levels are potential biomarkers for disease severity in UC patients.