Summary
Thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction fails to re-establish coronary
blood flow in a significant number of patients. One reason for this may be haemostatic
imbalance. We investigated whether coagulation factor VII antigen (FVIIag), fibrinogen
and protein C were related to reperfusion. Plasma from 45 patients was drawn before
treatment and reperfusion assessed by means of continuous, on-line, vector-ECG analysis.
Amongthe 17 patients with no reperfusion, FVIIag levels were significantly higher
than among the 28 with signs of reperfusion (560 vs. 410 μg/l median, p = 0.006).
Protein C levels where higher in the group with successful reperfusion (1.10 vs. 1.01
U/ml median, p = 0.03), whereas no difference was seen in fibrinogen levels. The findings
were not influenced by plasma-triglycerides, body-mass index, age or time between
onset of chest pain and thrombolytic therapy.
The results suggest that FVII is of importance for the formation as well as resolution
of coronary clots.