title: Effect of spironolactone on impaired fibrinolysis of hypertensive patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists have beneficial effects on impaired fibrinolytic activity of hypertensive patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of antialdosterone treatment on impaired fibrinolysis of hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen hypertensive outpatients and 14 normotensive healthy volunteers participated in this study. Blood samples for plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antigen and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen were obtained at baseline in all patients and control subjects. Then all hypertensive patients used spironolactone 50 mg/day for a week. Blood samples were again obtained after a week of spironolactone treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean basal plasma level of PAI-1 of hypertensive patients was higher than those of the normotensive control group (60.98 +/- 4.2 vs. 24.09 +/- 1.61 ng/ml, p < 0.01) The mean basal t-PA level was similar in the hypertensive and control subjects (7.49 +/- 0.65 vs. 8.78 +/- 0.92 ng/ml, p > 0.05). The mean PAI-1 level decreased after a week of spironolactone treatment (60.98 +/- 4.2 vs. 42.99 +/- 7.98 ng/ml, p < 0.05). The mean plasma t-PA level of hypertensive patients increased after spironolactone treatment (7.49 +/- 0.65 vs. 11.09 +/- 1.33 ng/ml, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that spironolactone improves impaired fibrinolysis in systemic hypertension. It provides evidence for a direct link between aldosterone and the fibrinolytic system in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Osmangazi University Medical School, TR-26010 Eskisehir, Turkey. auyalcin@ogu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ahmet Igir
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Yalcin
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dincer
authors.forename: Vahap
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aslan
authors.forename: Zafer
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gulbas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D013148:Spironolactone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000451:Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D013148:Spironolactone; D000450:Aldosterone; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator