title: Abnormal levels of urokinase plasminogen activator protein and tissue plasminogen activator activity in human aortic aneurysms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the concentrations and activities of plasminogen activators and plasminogen activator inhibitors in human abdominal aneurysms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital, Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsy specimens from 12 abdominal aortic aneurysms and 8 normal aortas (controls). INTRERVENTIONS: Tissues were homogenised and eluted. The supernatants were assayed for antigens of tissue and urokinase plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 and 2. The activities of tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were assayed by ELISA. Frozen sections were immunostained for tissue and urokinase plasminogen activators and for plasminogen activator inhibitor-1.
  
  
  METHODS
  Concentrations and activities of these activators and inhibitors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration of urokinase plasminogen activator antigen was higher in aneurysmal walls than in normal aortas; it was detected immunohistochemically in aneurysmal but not in normal aortas. The concentration (and the detection immunohistochemically) of tissue plasminogen activator was equal in aneurysmal and normal aortas, but its activity was reduced in the aneurysmal wall. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 did not differ significantly between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urokinase plasminogen activator may be responsible for the digestion of the media of the aorta and the development of an aneurysm. Reduced activity of tissue plasminogen activator may be responsible for thrombosis in the aneurysm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg University, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falkenberg
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Holmdahl
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tjärnström
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Risberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000473:pathology; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood; D017396:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 2 / Q000097:blood; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D017396:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 2; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator