Elevated levels of the rapid inhibitor of plasminogen activator (t-PAI) in acute myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction is frequently caused by acute coronary thrombosis. A previous study in patients three years after myocardial infarction has shown twice as high concentrations of the rapid inhibitor of plasminogen activator (t-PAI) as in healthy controls. The present study involves 29 patients with acute onset of myocardial infarction. Already on admission the mean concentration of t-PAI was 16.5 +/- 7.4 units/ml as compared to 7.5 +/- 2.3 in healthy controls. It is presently unknown if moderately elevated t-PAI levels contribute to a delay of the spontaneous thrombolysis of the coronary occlusion, thus promoting the development of myocardial infarction.