Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Plasma plasmin-alpha2-plasmin inhibitor complex levels are increased in systemic sclerosis patients with pulmonary
1Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Japan.
Objective:
To determine the frequency and clinical significance of plasma plasmin-alpha(2)-plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).
Methods:
Plasma samples from 74 patients with SSc and 32 healthy volunteers were examined by a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results:
Elevated plasma PIC levels were present in 35 of the 74 patients (47.3%) with SSc. The patients with elevated plasma PIC levels had pulmonary hypertension (PH) at a significantly higher incidence than those with normal PIC levels (31.4 vs 7.7%, P<0.01). When PH was classified into isolated PH (IPH) and secondary PH (SPH), the presence of IPH was significantly greater in patients with elevated PIC levels than in those with normal levels (25.7 vs 5.1%, P<0.02).
Conclusions:
These results suggest that plasma PIC levels may be a marker of PH, especially IPH, in patients with SSc.
Related Concept Videos
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
Among the PDE5 inhibitors, sildenafil (Revatio) stands out as a competitive and selective inhibitor. It operates by elevating cellular levels of cGMP and augmenting signaling through the cGMP-PKG pathway, promoting vasodilation. Upon oral...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Prostacyclin Receptor Agonists
These agonists bind to the IPR receptor situated on the plasma membrane of the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. This binding triggers a cascade of reactions known as the GS-AC-cAMP-PKA pathway. This pathway results in the relaxation of smooth muscle...
Pulmonary Embolism II: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins
