Thrombosis-related markers in acute myocardial infarction

pp 447-450

Abstract

Plasma markers of thrombosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction were evaluated in this study. Factors released from endothelium (tissue plasminogen activator, tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor-I, von Wille brand factor antigen, ristocetin co-factor, urokinase-type plasminogen activator) and hemostatic factors (platelet, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, factor VIII coagulant activity, thrombin time, cross-linked fibrin-degradation products and thrombin-antithrombin III complex) were assayed in 10 volunteers and in 21 patients with acute myocardial infarction. Tissue plasminogen activator (patients: 14.2:t 6 ng/ml; controls: 5.1:t 2.7; P < 0.01), tissue plasminogen activator-tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor-l complex (patients: 6.5:t 2.6 ng/ml; controls: 1.3:t 0.2 ng/ml; p = 0.01), tissue plasminogen inhibitor-l (patients: 45.1:t 15 ng/ml; controls: 20.6:t 16 ng/ml; p < 0.01) were increased at admission in patients with acute myocardial infarction compared to normal volunteers. Thrombin generation detected through the thrombin/antithrombin III complex concentration (patients: 13.9:t II ng/ml; controls: 5.5 :t 2 ng/ml; p < 0.01) was also elevated in patients with acute myocardial infarction at admission. We conclude that some plasma markers released from the endothelial cells (tissue plasminogen activator and tissue plasminogen inhibitor I) and the thrombin/antithrombin III complex (expression of thrombin generation) are useful markers of thrombosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction