Comparison of plasminogen activator activity in human arteries and veins

Biopsy specimens were obtained from 138 arteries and concomitant veins in different anatomic regions of both healthy subjects and patients undergoing surgery of various kinds. A fibrin slide technique was used to determine plasminogen activator (PA) activity, no significant difference being found between activity in arteries and that in veins, other than in epigastric veins where it was significantly greater. Arterial PA activity was similar in both healthy and uraemic subjects, and was unaffected by uraemia due to diabetes or other renal disorder, and by such factors as age and sex. Correlation between arterial activity and that in concomitant veins was found for all the anatomic regions studied.