Age-dependency in molecular markers of haemostasis, fibrinolysis and in soluble adhesion molecules

Objective: Elevation of several molecular markers of the haemostatic/fibrin olytic system and of soluble adhesion molecules has been associated with ac ute or chronic phases of atherosclerosis. Speculating that markers associat ed with atherosclerosis would increase with age, we determined the age-depe ndency of some of these markers in clinically healthy individuals. Methods. 129 healthy persons were enrolled [division: younger (less than or equal to 34 years)/older group (less than or equal to 34 years)]. Tissue-t ype plasminogen activator (t-PA) concentration, plasmin/alpha 2-antiplasmin complex (PAP), D-dimer (DD), prothrombin fragment F1+2 (F1+2), thrombin-an tithrombin III complex (TAT), soluble (sICAM-1) intercellular adhesion mole cule-1, soluble (sVCAM-1) vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and sP-selectin were measured with enzyme-linked immune assays, plasminogen activator inhi bitor-1 (PAI-1), plasma kallikrein-like activity (KK), and factor XII (FXII ) with chromogenic substrate tests, fibrinogen with the Clauss method. Results. fibrinogen (P < 0.01), F1+2 (P<0.01), KK (P<0.05) were significant ly higher in the older vs, the younger group and correlated significantly w ith age (P<0.05, P<0.01). DD showed significantly higher values in the olde r vs. the younger group, whereas T-PA, PAP, FXII, TAT did not. PAI-I tended towards higher values in the older vs. the younger persons. T-PA, PAI-1, D D correlated significantly with age P-selectin, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 did not di ffer between both groups, nor could a significant age-dependency be found. Conclusion: This study indicates that plasma levels of several molecular ma rkers of the haemostatic and fibrinolytic system increase with age. The age -dependency of these markers has to be taken into account in respect to the ir clinical use in order to characterize patients with suspected risk of at herosclerotic events. (C) 2000 Harcourt Publisher Ltd.