The effect of cigarette smoking in plasma fibrinogen level and platelet count in male Smokers in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

Cigarette Smoking has been shown to induce hypercoagulability and a hyper thrombotic state, possibly by increased platelet aggregation and adhesiveness as a result of its nicotine content. During tissue and vascular injury, Fibrinogen (factor I) is converted enzymatically by thrombin to fibrin and subsequently to a fibrin-based blood clot. This study was aimed to determine the effect of cigarette smoking in plasma fibrinogen and platelet levels in male smoker in Nnewi, Anambra state. Apparently healthy 80 male cigarette smokers and 80 male non cigarette smokers, aged between 18 and 40 years, resident in Nnewi were recruited for this study. Four milliliters of blood were collected from each participants (test and control samples), 2ml in trisodium citrate anticoagulated tubes and 2ml in EDTA for the estimation of plasma fibrinogen levels and platelets count respectively. Fibrinogen was estimated using the method described by Clauss. Platelets were estimated using Mythic 22 Automated Hematological Analyzers. The results showed a significant difference between the mean plasma Fibrinogen level in cigarette smokers and non-cigarette smokers (365.90±66.79 vs 203.02±47.40; p= 0.001). There was no significant difference observed in the mean platelets count of cigarette smokers when compared to the mean values of non-cigarette smokers (242.80±94.70 VS 202.84±76.31; p = 0.564). The study concluded that cigarettes smoking elicits an increase in the plasma fibrinogen level.