Plasma fibrinolytic activity in sickle cell disease.

Changes in plasma fibrinolytic activity, as measured by euglobulin lysis time (ELT) and serum fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) were investigated in 70 Nigerians with homozygous (HbSS) sickle cell disease (SCD), (50 in stable state and 20 in crisis state) and 75 age-matched non-sicklers. All had normal hemoglobin genotype (HbAA). The levels of ELT and FDP were significantly higher in sicklers in steady state than non-sicklers, but significantly lowered in sicklers in crisis than both non-sicklers and sicklers in stable state. Disturbances of fibrinolytic mechanism in both steady and crisis state might have a relationship to the clinical state of the individual patient.