title: Plasminogen activators and plasminogen activator inhibitors in liver deficiencies caused by chronic alcoholism or infectious hepatitis.
abstract: Plasma concentrations of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), urokinase (u-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and PAI-2 were studied in 53 patients with liver deficiency caused by chronic alcoholism (n = 40), viral hepatitis (n = 10) or malignant disease of the liver (n = 3) and compared to that of a control group (n = 20) of healthy subjects. u-PA and PAI-1 levels were significantly increased in all patients with chronic alcoholism, whereas high t-PA was only observed in combination with disturbed liver function tests or with liver cirrhosis (two and six-fold above control values, respectively). A good correlation was observed between t-PA and gamma glutamyl transferase (r = 0.615; p less than 0.001). In patients with infectious hepatitis or with malignant disease of the liver t-PA was normal whereas u-PA and PAI-1 were increased. PAI-2 levels were close to or below the detection limit (15 ng/ml) in the control group and in most patients. However, in two patients with alcohol induced cirrhosis PAI-2 levels were approximately 45 ng/ml and in one patient with hepatocarcinoma even 66 ng/ml. Thus, in liver disease, marked elevations of t-PA, u-PA and PAI-1 levels may occur, with increased PAI-1 as an early marker of liver defects and t-PA a marker of severe liver defects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tran-Thang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fasel-Felley
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pralong
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hofstetter
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kruithof
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000097:blood*; D015849:Plasminogen Inactivators / Q000097:blood*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015849:Plasminogen Inactivators; D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator