RESUMO
The aim of the present study was to determine whether the following components of the fibrinolytic system are present in amniotic fluid: plasminogen, plasmin and alpha(2)-antiplasmin, and plasmin-alpha(2)-antiplasmin (PAP) complexes. The study group consisted of 30 healthy women giving birth at term; 10 nonpregnant women constituted a control group. Plasminogen and alpha(2)-antiplasmin were studied by using an amidolytic method, and PAP by an ELISA method. The levels of plasminogen and alpha(2)-antiplasmin in amniotic fluid are low, 1.57+/-0.82 and 6.80+/-3.09%, respectively, of the values in blood plasma. The PAP concentration in amniotic fluid (70.61+/-14.28 microg/l) was also lower than in blood plasma (247.19+/-111.39 microg/l). We concluded that in amniotic fluid plasminogen and alpha(2)-antiplasmin are present, but at a concentration lower than in plasma. The presence of PAP in amniotic fluid is an evidence of two processes in the amniotic cavity: (i) plasmin generation, and (ii) plasmin inactivation by alpha(2)-antiplasmin.
