Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1999, 189 (4)

Elevated Plasma Level of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

HIROSHI ONODERA, ICHIRO NAKASHIMA, KAZUO FUJIHARA, TETSUYA NAGATA and YASUTO ITOYAMA

Department of Neurology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and one of the earliest changes in inflammatory focus involves the activation of vascular endothelial cells. We determined the plasma level of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), a key regulator of fibrinolysis and cell migration, in patients with MS. The level of plasma PAI-1 was significantly higher in active MS cases when compared to stable MS and controls. Plasma concentrations of tissue plasminogen activator, transforming growth factor b-1, and lipoprotein-a remained normal in spite of disease activity. These results suggested that PAI-1 plasma levels are associated with MS disease activity and is a good marker for MS relapse.
    Key words--- fibrinolysis; multiple sclerosis; plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; relapse
    © 1999 Tohoku University Medical Press

    Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1999, 189, 259-265
    Address for reprints: Hiroshi Onodera, Department of Neurology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
    e-mail: honodera@neurol.med.tohoku.ac.jp

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