[Increased fibrinolytic activity during cardiopulmonary bypass is caused by activated protein C system]

To examine the hypothesis that activated protein C system during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery may increase fibrinolytic activity during cardiopulmonary bypass, protein C activity, protein C antigen and thrombomodulin of sixteen patients undergoing elective cardiopulmonary bypass surgery were investigated after induction of anesthesia, before and after cardiopulmonary bypass, and at the end of operation. Protein C activity decreased and thrombomodulin increased significantly after the cardiopulmonary bypass. There were no significant correlations of thrombomodulin with protein C activity and protein C antigen. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that protein C system is activated and circulating thrombomodulin appears in the systemic circulation during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery and this enhanced activation of protein C system is possibly related to the reported increase of fibrinolytic activity during cardiopulmonary bypass.