Abstract
The dose and the method of administration of urokinase for patients with thrombo-embolic diseases has not yet been established.
Plasma fibrinolytic activity was evaluated by means of euglobulin lysis time and standard fibrin plate method with euglobulin fraction in the subjects. SK activated euglobulin lysis time and FDP were also determined.
Twenty-three subjects with either myocardial infarction or cerebral thromboembolic disease were divided into four groups. A dose of 3×104 IU of urokinase was infused for two hours twice a day in group I and 6×104 IU was given in the same way in group II. In groups III and IV, boluses of 2.4×104 IU and 3.6×104 IU respectively of urokinase were added prior to the same infusion as that given in group II.
Significant shortening of euglobulin lysis time was seen in the plasma of group IV patients, but not in the other groups, although standard fibrin plate method showed too few change to evaluate the fibrinolytic activity.
It is debatable and needs further study to decide which method is more preferable for the clinical evaluation of fibrinolytic activity.
Previous determination of whole plasmin content in plasma by the method of SK activated euglobulin lysis time was helpful for predicting the fibrinolytic activity after urokinase administration.
Since no significant changes were seen in the serum FDP level after infusion of urokinase in all 4 groups, determination of FDP was not an appropriate way of evaluating fibrinolytic activity in our experiment.
