Relationship between age and plasma t-PA, PA-inhibitor, and PA activity.

A positive correlation between age and the occurrence of thrombosis has been suggested. We studied the relationship between age and fibrinolytic activities; namely levels of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PA inhibitor) activity, and plasminogen activator activity (PA activity). A dramatic increase in both t-PA antigen and PA inhibitor was shown in persons with increasing age. PA activity decreased with age. Therefore it is suggested that the tendency of decreased PA activity with increasing age may be related to the high incidence of thrombosis in older persons.