[Endogenous vasopressin and fibrinolysis in patients with angina pectoris]

A relationship was examined between blood vasopressin levels and the fibrinolytic system in 35 patients with angina pectoris (16 with vasospastic angina (VA) and 19 with exercise-induced angina) who had undergone vein occlusion testing. There was a positive correlation between the post-testing vasopressin levels and the activity of tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor (TPAI) (r = 0.54) which was more high in patients with VA (r = 0.61). Only did the patients with VA show a direct relationship between the vasopressin concentrations and the activity of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) (r = 0.63), the concentration of fibrinogen-fibrin degradation products (FFDP) (r = 0.88). Thirteen patients having higher vasopressin levels (over 3.4 ng/ml) displayed a greater TPAI activity than did the patients with vasopressin levels of at least 3.4 ng/ml (26.2 +/- 4.9 and 15.0 +/- 1.42 IU/ml, respectively; p less than 0.05). There was a direct relationship between the vasopressin levels and the activity of TPA (r = 0.65), the concentration of FFDP (r = 0.78) in patients having a vasopressin level of above 3.4 ng/ml. The findings are in agreement with the concept that endogenous vasopressin is involved in the regulation of the blood fibrinolytic system.