title: An improved quantitative method for the study of fibrinolysis in the skin as exemplified in patients with leukocytoclastic vasculitis and erysipelas.
abstract: The activity of plasminogen activator has been measured in tissue sections with the aid of a modified Todd technique. Frozen skin biopsies were sectioned and the tissue covered with fibrin-plasminogen film. After incubation at 37 degrees C fibrinolysis was studied for a period of 30 min and was graded into six exponentially increasing steps. During this period, grades were linear with the llogarithm of time of incubation. The rate of fibrinolysis is a measure of the activity of the plasminogen activator and is expressed by the slope of the linear regression of grades versus the ogarithm of time; the value of the slope is proportional to the common logarithm of the activity of the plasminogen activator present in the section. Using urokinase as a specific plasminogen activator, the same linear expression was shown with time, indicating the validity of our grading and experimental system. Eleven healthy subjects served as controls to 6 patients with leukocytoclastic vasculitis and 4 patients with erysipelas and 4 with necrotizing fascilitis. The controls showed values similar to the non-involved skin in the patients. The activity was higher in the arm than in the thigh sites. The activity in the thighs was lower in women than in men. A decrease in the plasminogen activator activity was found in the three disorders.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004886:Erysipelas / Q000378:metabolism*; D005208:Fasciitis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000494:pharmacology; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator