[Importance of the structure of the clot in thrombolysis]

Activation of plasminogen by tissue-type plasminogen activator (tpA) is potentiated by fibrin. We have demonstrated the role of fibrin polymerization in the potentiating effect of tpA-induced fibrinolysis. Therefore a pathogenic mechanism of thrombotic disorder may be related to an abnormal fibrin polymerization: the abnormal clot being less accessible to fibrinolysis than normal one. This defective lysis may be due to a defective enhancement by the abnormal fibrin of plasminogen activation by tpA, as demonstrated for fibrinogen Dusard, a congenital dysfibrinogenemia associated with a very severe thrombotic disorder. In some other cases, a decrease in the availability of the plasmin cleavage sites in fibrin clot may be involved. On the contrary, some antithrombotic drugs such as pentosane polysulfate in modifying clot structure allow a better degradation of fibrin clot by fibrinolytic enzymes. It is speculated that this enhanced fibrinolysis could explain, almost in part, the antithrombotic action of these drugs.