Thrombophilia with a contemporary reduction of fibrinolytic activity has be
en observed both in diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Previously, we foun
d a relationship between plasminogen activator inhibitor Type 1 (PAI-1) and
lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] in Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients without compli
cations. We hypothesised that this relationship could be due to a compensat
ory mechanism able to lower the risk of hypofibrinolysis as found in Type 2
diabetes mellitus, The present work was aimed at investigating the influen
ce of concurrent hypertension and diabetes mellitus on the plasma levels of
these two fibrinolytic inhibitors. In addition, other risk factors, known
to influence the fibrinolytic parameters, were taken into account. Forty-ni
ne Type 2 nonhypertensive diabetic patients without complications, 47 Type
2 hypertensive diabetic patients without complications, 54 non-diabetic hyp
ertensive subjects without complications as well as 87 control subjects wer
e studied, Plasma concentrations of Lp(a), PAI-1 antigen and activity, and
the main parameters of oxidative, lipo- and glycometabolic balance were det
ermined. Significant statistical differences between diabetic and non-diabe
tic subjects were found concerning triglycerides and antioxidant defence (p
<0.01), Analysis of variance showed the F test statistically significant in
evaluating the Log PAI-1/Lp(a) (p=0.02), Correlation analysis between Log
PAI-1 antigen and Lp(a) was significant in non-hypertensive diabetic patien
ts, as expected (r=-0.38, p<0.01), and even stronger in hypertensive diabet
ic patients (r=-0.72, p<0.01), These results allow to hypothesise that the
relationship between PAI-1/Lp(a) could be determinant in avoiding vascular
complications due to diabetes mellitus and hypertension, (C) 1999, Editrice
Kurtis.