[High-altitude pulmonary hypertension and fibrinolysis]

The fibrinolytic system of the blood was studied in 49 indigenous residents at an altitude of 3600 m above sea level having signs of altitude pulmonary hypertension, and in 48 persons without such signs. The control group comprised 70 residents of Dushanbe (810 m above sea level). Persons with altitude pulmonary hypertension were found to have an increased fibrinolytic activity, a reduced content of antiplasmins and inhibitors of plasminogen activation. These changes are combined with a reduction of the fibrinogen content and a decrease in the activity of the fibrin-stabilizing factor. No principal difference was found in the fibrinolytic system of comparable groups having signs of altitude pulmonary hypertension, and without such signs.