A 45-year-old woman presents with bleeding from her intravenous catheter sites and oozing from her gums. She has a history of acute promyelocytic leukemia and was recently started on chemotherapy. Laboratory results show prolonged PT and PTT, low fibrinogen, thrombocytopenia, and elevated D-dimer. A peripheral smear reveals schistocytes. Which of the following findings would most reliably distinguish disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) from thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)?
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