Peritoneal fibrinolytic activity in peritonitis

Background: Peritonitis may cause a reduction in abdominal fibrinolytic activity. The reduced local fibrinolysis seems to be an important process in the subsequent development of adhesion formation. The aim of the study was to evaluate peritoneal fibrinolytic capacity in inflamed and normal peritoneum. Methods: Peritoneal biopsy specimens were taken at the beginning of operation from 15 patients with peritonitis and 10 patients who underwent elective operation. Levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) type 1 (PAI-1) and type 2 (PAI-2), and tPA/PAI complex in tissue extracts were determinated by commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: tPA was significantly reduced in peritonitis compared with normal peritoneum (P <0.001), whereas it was found that the levels of PAI-1, PAI-2, uPA, and tPA/PAI complex in peritonitis were significantly higher than those in normal controls. Conclusions: Plasminogen activator activity was significantly reduced in peritoneal biopsy samples from patients with peritonitis compared with those from patients without peritonitis.