Qualitative analysis of tissue plasminogen activator in plasma obtained from various liver diseases by gel filtration and affinity chromatography

: Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) in plasma obtained from patients with acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, drug-induced intrahepatic cholestasis, obstructive jaundice, fulminant hepatitis or disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), was analysed chromatographically. Liver disease cases showed a new peak (peak C) on HPLC fractionation. The protein of peak C had a lower molecular weight than ovalbumin. Lysine- and zinc- chelating affinity chromatography revealed that the peak C consist with the light chain (L-chain) of t-PA. The L-chain was also found in patients with DIC, but disappeared after improvement of DIC. Therefore, it was suggested that appearance of the L-chain would be related to acceleration of secondary fibrinolysis in plasma. The L-chain was especially high in plasma obtained from patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. These results indicated that high increase of the L-chain in cases of severe liver disease may be due to either impaired clearance of t-PA in the liver or secondary hyperfibrinolysis accompanied by DIC. We concluded that determination of the L-chain of t-PA may contribute to clarify the mechanism of hyperfibrinolysis in liver diseases.