Q: I had undergone hysteroscopy for infertility two months ago. After one month of the surgery bleeding started and is still happening. I am under hormonal medication. After few blood tests like PT, PTT, CBC and Fibrinogen my report tells that all are normal except fibrinogen, which is moderately elevated. What is the significance of this elevation? I will be going for IVF later. Is this elevation in any way going to affect IVF?

A:Fibrinogen is a protein found in the blood, which is involved in blood clotting and its normal levels reflect the clotting ability of the blood. It is usually measured as a part of coagulation tests when a person has symptoms suggestive of unexplained or prolonged bleeding. Some doctors also use its levels to evaluate the risk of heart disease, though this is not too common. This protein is an acute phase reactant i.e. its level in the blood show a steep rise in any condition that causes inflammation or tissue damage in the body. It is thus, a non-specific marker of underlying inflammatory states and does not tell the cause or site of the underlying disease process. The levels return to normal once the primary problem is over. Common causes for its elevation include - acute infections, inflammatory disorders, injury, cancer, diseases involving blood vessels like stroke or heart attack etc. Many drugs too cause its level to rise like the use of oral contraceptives containing oestrogen, steroids and even cigarette smoking. Your elevated fibrinogen level will not affect the IVF procedure. Its elevated levels need to be interpreted in the light of your symptoms and medicines that you are taking.