ABSTRACT
The activity of tissue plasminogen activator [t-PA] and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 [PAI-1] in the plasma of 40 rheumatoid arthritis [RA] patients [Gl] and 10 osteoarthritis [OA] patients [G2] was measured. Group I mean age was 40.95 +/- 3.57 and the duration of disease was 91.65 +/- 37.93 weeks. Group II mean age was 50.87 +/- 5.39 and the duration of disease was 77.43 +/- 12.75 weeks. Ten apparently healthy subjects were examined as a control group [G3]. Their mean age was 25.44 +/- 10.45. The relationship between plasma t-PA and PAI-1 and their correlation with disease activity were studied in patients with rheumatoid arthritis [RA=G1] and [OA=G2], and control group a comparative study group showed that, RA Gl increased t-PA and PAI-1 activity, in comparison with OA patients and control group. In addition, there was an imbalance between plasminogen activator inhibitor-type 1 [PAI-1] and t-PA in RA than OA patient or control. These results show an alteration of the PAI-1/t-PA system in RA, which increases with disease activity. This alteration may play a role in joint destruction in RA