Increase of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) in plasma after thrombolytic therapy of patients with myocardial infarction. A randomised,placebo-controlled study

Based on recent studies we hypothesised that the marked generation of thrombin in patients who undergo coronary thrombolysis was associated with substantial deviations of endogenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and the plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) in plasma.In the present placebo-controlled study we observe in 20 patients treated with recombinant t-PA (rt-PA) a marked increase (p<0.001) of antigen concentrations in plasma of endogenous t-PA and PAI-1 during the first 12h after initiation of treatment. The concentrations of endogenous t-PA and PAI-1 in plasma correlated significantly (p<0.05) with an estimate of generated thrombin in vivo, determined as plasma concentrations of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes. We conclude that the generation of coagulant activity following coronary thrombolysis is associated with an increased synthesis and/or release of endogenous t-PA and PAI-1, which suggests that the procoagulant condition involves an altered functional state of the vascular endothelium.