Lumbrokinase Reduced the Fibrinogen Concentration in Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Lumbrokinase has been used to treat stroke and cardiovascular disease. Fibrinogen elevation is a known risk factor and a powerful predictor of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of lumbrokinase treatment on fibrinogen concentration and blood and plasma viscosities. The search strategy included articles indexed by PubMed and other resources (Google Search), using medical subject headings (MeSH) and text words. A total of 185 articles were identified; however, only two articles were included in the final analysis, including 727 patients. The results demonstrated a significant reduction in the fibrinogen concentration (–0.67, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] [–1.22, –0.12]; p=0.02) and a significant reduction in plasma viscosity (–0.77, 95% CI [–1.06, –0.48]; p=0.00001) for the lumbrokinase-treatment group compared with the control group. However, no significant difference in blood viscosity was observed between the two groups (–0.61, 95% CI [–1.33, 0.11]; p=0.10). Lumbrokinase may be effective as an adjuvant drug alongside the standard treatment for ischemic cerebrovascular disease. However, these results should be interpreted with caution due to high heterogeneity, and further randomized controlled trials are necessary.