title: Fibrinolytic system in normotensive subjects and hypertensive patients.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the fibrinolytic system by measurement of fibrinogen, plasminogen, tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in healthy normotensive subjects and in patients with essential hypertension. A group of 21 healthy normotensive subjects [age, 39.2 +/- 1.8 years; 8 males, 13 females; body mass index (BMI) = 27.9 kg/m] and 42 patients with untreated essential hypertension (age, 47.6 +/- 1.7 years; 19 males, 23 females; BMI = 28.3 kg/m) were studied. Blood samples and clinical measurement were taken between 7 am and 9 am by an observer in a blind fashion. The systolic/diastolic blood pressure of normotensive subjects was 121.3 +/- 2.5/78.4 +/- 1.3 mm Hg and that of hypertensive patients was 166.4 +/- 4.3/102.9 +/- 1.83 mm Hg, measured in the sitting position. Plasma fibrinogen levels in the normotensive and hypertensive individuals were 295.7 +/- 9.4 mg/dL and 305.67 +/- 10.9 mg/dL, respectively (P = 0.456). The corresponding values for plasminogen were 71.4 +/- 3.8% and 89.5 +/- 2.5%, (P = 0.0031), for t-PA were 6.3 +/- 0.5 ng/mL and 7.6 +/- 0.4 ng/mL (P = 0.0487), and for PAI-1 were 46.9 +/- 5.1 ng/mL and 63.0 +/- 5.6 ng/mL (P = 0.0324), respectively. In conclusion, patients with essential hypertension have disequilibrium in the fibrinolytic system with a tendency toward a hypercoagulability state when compared with normotensive subjects. This state could explain, in part, the thrombotic complications that occur with a higher frequency in hypertensive patients as compared with normotensive subjects.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Unit and Hypertension Clinic, School of Medicine, Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, Barquisimeto, Estado Lara, Venezuela.
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Armas-Hernández
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hernández-Hernández
authors.forename: María Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Armas-Padilla
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sosa-Canache
authors.forename: Rosalba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cammarata
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guerrero-Pajuelo
authors.forename: Zafar H
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Israili
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valasco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010958:Plasminogen; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D005340:Fibrinogen; D010958:Plasminogen; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator