Clinical, Laboratory, and Molecular Aspects of Congenital Fibrinogen Disorders

Abstract Congenital fibrinogen disorders (CFDs) include afibrinogenemia, hypofibrinogenemia, dysfibrinogenemia, and hypodysfibrinogenemia. The fibrinogen levels, the clinical features, and the genotype define several sub-types, each with specific biological and clinical issues. The diagnosis of CFDs is based on the measurement of activity and antigen fibrinogen levels as well as on the genotype. While relatively easy in quantitative fibrinogen disorders, the diagnosis can be more challenging in qualitative fibrinogen disorders depending on the reagents and methods used, and the underlying fibrinogen variants. Overall, quantitative and qualitative fibrinogen defects lead to a decrease in clottability, and usually in a bleeding tendency. The severity of the bleeding phenotype is moreover related to the concentration of fibrinogen. Paradoxically, patients with CFDs are also at risk of thrombotic events. The impact of the causative mutation on the structure and the fibrinogen level is one of the determinants of the thrombotic profile. Given the major role of fibrinogen in pregnancy, women with CFDs are particularly at risk of obstetrical adverse outcomes. The study of the fibrin clot properties can help to define the impact of fibrinogen disorders on the fibrin network. The development of next generation sequencing now allows the identification of genetic modifiers able to influence the global hemostasis balance in CFDs. Their integration in the assessment of the patient risk on an individual scale is an important step toward precision medicine in patients with such a heterogeneous clinical course.