Tissue plasminogen activator in human aqueous humor and its possible therapeutic significance.

By using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we detected a significant amount of tissue plasminogen activator (0.8 +/- 0.17 ng/ml) in the aqueous humor of ten normal human eyes. It was also identified on Western blot analysis. The ratio of tissue plasminogen activator to total protein in aqueous humor was about 30 times greater than the ratio of tissue plasminogen activator to total protein in plasma. There was evidence that at least some of the tissue plasminogen activator in the aqueous humor was synthesized locally by the structures bordering the anterior chamber of the eye. Tissue plasminogen activator may be a useful therapeutic modality in clinical conditions of delayed dissolution of fibrin in the eye.