Summary
10 healthy female subjects and 15 female patients with essential hypertension were
studied with respect to fibrinogen metabolism in a steady state. Autologous I-125-labeled
fibrinogen (I-125-fibrinogen) was used as a tracer. Comparison of the results showed
that plasma volume, t½ of plasma I-125-fibrinogen and fractional catabolic rate (j3p) of plasma fibrinogen were not appreciably different in both groups of subjects, but plasma fibrinogen
concentration, and catabolic flux of (synthesis rate) were significantly higher in hypertensive subjects, whereas extravascular
fibrinogen and fractional transcapillary transfer rate (j1) of were significantly decreased in the patients. Further analyses of the data in both
groups showed that there were significant correlations between diastolic blood pressure
(P) and j1 with a regression equation of j1 = e−0.0285P, between 1 and between and j1 with a regression equation of 1. These results indicate that the observed decrease of j1 triggered the transition from normal to pathological steady state and is responsible
for the altered metabolism and distribution of fibrinogen in hypertensive subjects.
