Clinical failure of streptokinase due to an unsuspected high titer of antistreptokinase antibody.

Neutralization of streptokinase by an unsuspected high titer of antistreptokinase antibody prevented activation of the fibrinolytic system and induction of a lytic state in a 62 year old man with an acute inferior myocardial infarction. There was no decrease in serum fibrinogen, minimal decrease in serum plasminogen and only a small increase in serum fibrin degradation products after intravenous administration of 1.5 million units of streptokinase. A high titer of antistreptokinase antibody, sufficient to neutralize 1.5 million units of streptokinase, was demonstrated by semiquantitative counterelectrophoresis . There was no clinical evidence of coronary artery reperfusion, and coronary angiography confirmed complete occlusion of the left circumflex artery.