Elevated plasminogen activator inhibitor levels found in patients with malignant conditions

Impaired fibrinolysis often is found in patients with deep-vein thrombosis. Deep-vein thrombosis is seen in some patients with malignant conditions. In patients with malignant conditions, impaired fibrinolysis may be present and may contribute to the development of thrombotic complications. In this study, the extrinsic fibrinolytic system was evaluated in a group of patients with malignant conditions and compared to a positive control group of patients with history of thrombosis but with no malignant condition and also to a negative control group of normal subjects. The group of patients with malignant conditions had plasminogen activator inhibitor levels similar to those patients with a history of thrombosis. Both of these groups had higher plasminogen activator inhibitor levels than the normal control patients.