Fibrinolytic Activity of Human Veins in Arms and Legs

Abstract

SummaryA modification of the fibrin slide method of Todd permitting a semiquantitative estimation of the fibrinolytic activity in tissue sections is described. By means of this technique, the authors have studied the fibrinolytic activity of the great saphenous vein and of superficial veins of the arm and leg in patients suffering from varices and in normal subjects. It was found that:1. Fibrinolytic activity is localized, in these vessels, mainly to the vasa vasorum of the adventitia. The media is moderately active. Intimal cells are active only when detached.2. The great saphenous vein is more active above than below the knee.3. The veins of the arm are definitely more active than the veins of the leg.4. The activator of plasminogen demonstrated in the sections by the fibrin slide method is a fairly stable enzyme still active after exposure to 60° C and resistent to moderate variations of pH.