Abstract
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the lower limb has been associated with a low level of circulating plasminogen activator (pa) and low levels of pa in the superficial hand veins of affected patients. Little is known of the pa level in the veins commonly affected by DVT. Immediately after amputation of limbs for rest pain samples of soleal veins (n = 9) and long saphenous vein (LSV) (n = 9) were obtained and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Six normal veins from the groins of patients having hernia repairs were taken as controls. The median activity in the soleal veins was 6796 (range 2232 to 21 570), significantly different from the LSV 1675 range (777-119) P= >0.01, Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test. The normal vein activity median was 11 221 (range 7717 to 13 410). The level of pa in the soleal veins was considerably higher than might be expected in the veins most commonly affected by DVT.
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