title: alpha 2-Plasmin inhibitor metabolism in patients with liver cirrhosis.
abstract: We describe the metabolism of purified human alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor in patients with liver cirrhosis to determine whether low plasma concentrations of alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor are the result of impaired synthesis or increased catabolism or both. A kinetic study was performed with 131I-alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor as a sensitive parameter of fibrinolysis in 14 patients with histologically proved liver cirrhosis compared with six healthy control subjects. Eight patients had macronodular cirrhosis (with positive hepatitis B surface antigen), and six had micronodular cirrhosis as a result of alcohol abuse. None of the patients had clinical signs of ascites, and in all the disease was stabilized. alpha 2-Plasmin inhibitor levels biologically and immunologically measured were decreased in all patients. Ten microCi 131I-alpha 2PI was injected intravenously, the disappearance of plasma radioactivity was measured, and turnover data were calculated according to the function x(t) = A1e-alpha 1t + A2e-alpha 2t + Be-beta t. Mean (+/- SD) turnover data in the control subjects were plasma radioactivity half-life 60.1 +/- 5.3 hours, fractional catabolic rate constant of the plasma pool 0.0318 +/- 0.0106 hr-1, and absolute catabolic (synthetic) rate constant 2.10 +/- 0.60 mg/kg/day. The alpha 1-phase was 1.26 +/- 0.23, and the transcapillary influx constant (k2,1) was 0.974 +/- 0.109 hr-1. In the patients, plasma radioactivity half-life was 58.7 +/- 12.09 hr, and fractional catabolic rate constant of the plasma pool 0.0283 +/- 0.0043 hr-1. The alpha 1-phase 4.74 +/- 6.48 and the transcapillary influx (k2,1) 3.08 +/- 3.9 hr-1 were both significantly increased compared with control values (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.05, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001825:Body Fluid Compartments; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D006207:Half-Life; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D000979:alpha-2-Antiplasmin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000979:alpha-2-Antiplasmin