Inhibitors of fibrinolysis

The inhibitors of fibrinolysis form an integral part of the fibrinolytic system maintaining a state of dynamic equilibrium with the activators. Studies of their presence are reviewed. Data on their role in tissue repair is also presented. Among the different inhibitors against fibrinolysis urokinase was found consistently to be of higher levels in platelets and cultures from tissues taken from all parts of the body. The urokinase inhibitor was also found to be high in plasma of a variety of physiological and pathological conditions predisposed to thromboembolism. These conditions include late pregnancy, various cancer states and sickle cell disease. It is concluded that urokinase along with its inhibitor forms an integral part of the physiological hemostatic mechanism of importance not only in the urinary tract but throughout the body.