[Changes of plasma fibrinolysis system and the effect of captopril in high altitude pulmonary edema].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the changes of plasma fibrinolysis system and the effect of captopril in patients with high altitude pulmonary edema.


METHODS
The plasma levels of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were measured before and after treatment in the captopril-group (group A, 35 cases) and the routine-group (group B, 37 cases) of patients with HAPE, while 20 healthy volunteers served as the control (group C).


RESULTS
The plasma level of tPA was (0.40 +/- 0.14) x 10(3) IU/L in group A vs (0.39 +/- 0.19) x 10(3) IU/L in group B before treatment, and (0.58 +/- 0.13) x 10(3) IU/L vs (0.49 +/- 0.16) x 10(3) IU/L after treatment, and (0.59 +/- 0.17) x 10(3) IU/L in group C. The differences were significant both before and after treatment between group A and group B (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). While PAI-1 was (6.6 +/- 1.8) x 10(3) AU/L in group A vs (6.6 +/- 1.6) x 10(3) AU/L in group B before treatment, and (4.9 +/- 1.5) x 10(3) AU/L vs (5.8 +/- 1.7) x 10(3) AU/L after treatment, and (4.9 +/- 1.3) x 10(3) AU/L in group C. The differences were significant both before and after treatment between group A and group B (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with HAPE may present a disturbance of the fibrinolysis system, which could be reversed by captopril.
Yu
Jun
J
Department of Internal Medicine, 41st Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Shannan, Tibet 856100, China.
Li
Dang-sheng
DS
Lei
Ying-quan
YQ
Ba
Huan-ling
HL
Fu
Zhong-ming
ZM
Li
Shi-dong
SD
Hou
Tong-chuan
TC
Peng
Chuan-li
CL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D002216:Captopril / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood
D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D002216:Captopril; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator