Fibrinolytic activity in obliterative arterial diseases

This study was designed with the aim of assessing the fibrinolytic status of patients suffering from obliterative arterial disease [OAD] as compared to healthy controls. Twenty-five patients with arterial obliterative diseases presented acutely were chosen for fibrinolytic assay and compared with 25 healthy controls. Twelve patients had critical ischemia and 15 patients were diabetics. Twenty-one patients had lower limb ischemia while, 4 patients had upper limb ischemia. The results of the study suggested that the fibrinolytic system is significantly impaired in cases of acute or severely ischemic patients when compared to controls. It was concluded that fibrinolytic assay could be added as a routine investigation in cases of critical ischemia and early onset atherosclerosis. Therapeutic options could be adjusted according to the fibrinolytic assay results

Fibrinolytic activity in patients with chronic low back pain

A group of sixteen patients with chronic low back pain [CLBP] of various aetiology was examined clinically and radiologically. Blood samples were withdrawn and fibrinolytic activity [FA] was examined by measuring the percentage of plasminogen and infinity-antiplasmin in the plasma of the patient group and of a control group consisting of twenty matched healthy individuals. Four patients [25%] showed defective fibrinolysis namely, significant reduction of plasminogen percentage below normal. In addition, mean plasminogen percentage in plasma in the patient group was significantly lower than in controls [P < 005], but there was no significant difference in the mean plasma percentage of infinity-antiplasmin. Furthermore, no association could be detected between defective fibrinolysis and the degree of the clinical and radiological manifestations of CLBP. Larger patient groups should be investigated to verify the importance of fibrinolytic defect in the aetiology of CLBP. In addition, enhancement of FA may be used as a trial to manage patients showing fibrinolytic defect