Summary
Plasminogen, fibrinogen, antithrombin III, euglobulin lysis time, tissue plasminogen
activator (t-PA) and fast-acting t-PA inhibitor were measured in 21 patients receiving
either stanozolol (10 mg orally given for 14 days preoperatively) or subcutaneous
heparin, during a continuing comparative trial in the prevention of postoperative
deep vein thrombosis.
Stanozolol treatment resulted in significant (p <0.01) increases between the 14th
and 1st preoperative days in the plasma concentrations of plasminogen (3.4 to 4.9
Cu/ml) and antithrombin III (107% to 132%); t-PA levels did not increase significantly
(6.0 to 16.0 mU/ml; p >0.1). There were significant (p <0.02) falls in fast-acting
t-PA inhibitor (132% to 75%) and fibrinogen (2.4 to 1.8 g/1).
Surgery reversed the changes in fibrinolytic activity seen preoperatively in the stanozolol-treated
patients, and similar changes were seen in the heparin-treated group. In this dosage,
stanozolol does not appear to prevent the fibrinolytic shutdown which occurs after
elective major surgery.
Key words
Stanozolol - Fibrinolytic activity - Deep vein thrombosis
