In order to detect even minimal fibrinolysis activation in liver cirrhosis and to investigate whether an increased plasmin activity is related to a mild blood coagulation activation, we measured fibrinopeptide A (FPA) (Mailinckrodt) and fibrinopeptide BB 15-42 (BB 15-42) (IMCO and SORIN Biomedica) in 26 patients (16 men and 10 women, mean age 55.8 ± 13.1 years) with histologically proven liver cirrhosis..Mann-Whitney test, Student’s t test and correlation coefficient r were employed for statistical analysis when appropriate.FPA and BB 15-42 were not normal distributed and thus their levels were exprsessed as median and range.FPA values were significantly different in cirrhotic patients (3.9, 0.9-24.2 ng/ml) from those of the controls (2.5, 0.5-3.9 ng/ml) (p < 0.01).BB 15-42 levels were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients (19.4, 7.1-103.1 ng/ml) than in controls (10.4, 5.1-15.4 ng/ml) (p < 0.01). A posteriori the patients were divided in two subgroups according to whether their FPA levels were high (subgroup 1, n=10, FPA>4.0 ng/ml) or normal (subgroup 2, n=16, FPA < 4.0 ng/ml).In patients with high FPA levels we found higher levels of BB 15-42 (22.2, 9.9-103.1 ng/ml) than in patients with normal FPA (13.6, 7.1-30.7 ng/ml ).Thvis difference was significant (p < 0.02) .There was no relationship between FPA and BB 15-42.Our data indicate that in liver cirrhosis a mild fibrinolysis activation may occur.The role of a chronic intravascular coagulation appears to be significant in this regard.However the impaired clearance of plasminogen activators, the decreased synthesis of fibrinolysis inhibitors and the decreased levels of hystidine rich glycoprotein may be also involved in determining fibrinolysis activation as suggested by the lack of correlation between FPA and BB 15-42.
Role of Urokinase Receptor in Tumor Progression and Development
