Hb. Rahr et al., PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATORS AND PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR INHIBITOR IN PORTAL BLOOD FROM PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT GASTRIC MALIGNANCY, Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology, 31(2), 1996, pp. 170-174
Background: Plasminogen activators (PA) may be released by the gut and
eliminated by the liver. Patients with liver disorders or malignancy
often have abnormal plasma levels of PAs. Some tumours may produce PAs
. Methods: In patients undergoing gastric surgery for malignant (n = 1
8) or benign (n = 21) disorders, blood drawn from the portal vein and
a peripheral vein was analysed for tissue-type plasminogen activator a
ntigen and activity (tPA:Ag, tPA:Act), single-chain urokinase-type pla
sminogen activator activity (scuPA:Act), and plasminogen activator inh
ibitor antigen and activity (PAI:Ag, PAI:Act). Results and Conclusions
: In both groups tPA:Act and scuPA:Act levels were significantly highe
r in portal blood than in peripheral blood, but tPA:Ag and PAI:Act lev
els did not differ. PAI:Act levels were significantly lower in patient
s with malignant disease, but levels of the other markers did not diff
er in the two groups.