Regulation of plasminogen activators and their inhibitors in rheumatic diseases: new understanding and the potential for new directions.

Over the past several years there has been a rapid expansion in our understanding of the fibrinolytic system. This includes knowledge of the components, availability of recombinant reagents and a better understanding of the regulation of fibrinolysis in health and disease. Disturbances in the regulation of the balance between fibrin deposition and removal have been implicated in a number of inflammatory diseases including certain rheumatic diseases. This overview summarizes our knowledge of the components of the fibrinolytic system, discusses evidence for their involvement in certain rheumatic diseases and speculates on their possible use in disease assessment and treatment.