Placenta and Myometrium – The Two Main Sources of Fibrinolytic Components during Pregnancy

Vol. 52, No. 3, 2001

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Original Paper

Placenta and Myometrium - The Two Main Sources of Fibrinolytic Components during Pregnancy
Mieczys lstrok aw Uszy nacute ski^a, Krzysztof Maciejewski^b, Waldemar Uszy nacute ski^a, Jaros lstrok aw Kuczy nacute ski^c

^aDepartment of Propedeutics of Medicine, Ludwik Rydygier Medical University, Bydgoszcz;
^bCity Hospital in Gdynia, and
^cRegional Hospital in Suwa lstrok ki, Poland

Address of Corresponding Author

Gynecol Obstet Invest 2001;52:189-193 (DOI: 10.1159/000052971)

Key Words

Placenta
Myometrium
Plasminogen activators
Plasminogen activator inhibitors
Pregnancy

Abstract

Objectives: Placenta is a known source of some fibrinolytic components in pregnancy. The aim of the present study is to find out whether myometrium can be a parallel source. Study Design: The study group consisted of 34 women (16 primaparas and 18 multiparas, 39.0 ± 0.2 years) in the 36-40th week of gestation with some obstetric complications: preeclampsia - 11, fetal distress - 9, breech presentation - 3, placenta previa - 1, repeat caesarean birth - 10 cases (20 women were the control group). The strips of myometrium as well as samples of venous blood and placenta were collected at the time of caesarean section. The tissue extracts were prepared. The components of the plasminogen activator system were measured, i.e. tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor 2 (PAI-2). An immunoenzymatic method (ELISA) was used. Spearman and Pearson's correlation coefficients were the main tools of the statistical analysis. Results: The concentration of the fibrinolytic components in blood plasma, placenta and myometrium were as follows (ng/mg of total protein): tPA: 0.15 ± 0.07 (blood plasma), 0.12 ± 0.05 (placenta), and 1.42 ± 1.02 (myometrium); uPA: 0.01 ± 0.005 (blood plasma), 1.09 ± 0.25 (placenta), and 0.52 ± 0.13 (myometrium); PAI-1: 2.86 ± 0.90 (blood plasma), 30.67 ± 9.31 (placenta), and 22.29 ± 11.29 (myometrium); PAI-2: 2.86 ± 0.90 (blood plasma), 750.89 ± 170.29 (placenta), and 24.84 ± 8.03 (myometrium). Conclusion: Besides placenta, myometrium is another important source of fibrinolytic components in pregnancy.

Author Contacts

Prof. Mieczys lstrok aw Uszy nacute ski, MD, PhD
Department of Propedeutics of Medicine, Ludwik Rydygier Medical University
ul. M. Curie-Sk lstrok odowskiej 9
PL-85 067 Bydgoszcz (Poland)
Tel. +48 52 341 00 71, Fax +48 52 322 62 29

Article Information

Received: Received: February 5, 2001
Revised and accepted: May 17, 2001
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 18

Medline Abstract (ID 11598362)

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