[Diabetes mellitus and fibrinolysis (experience with an in vitro clot lysis test)].

After a concise review on fibrinolysis in diabetes mellitus, special attention is given to the observations suggesting impaired fibrinolysis in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and in hyperinsulinaemia. This fibrinolytic defect, based mainly upon indirect data, may contribute to the development of macroangiopathy. The results discussed here, gained by a simple in vitro clot lysis assay revealed decreased fibrinolytic properties in some of the non-insulin dependent diabetic patients, however the mean value did not differ significantly from the control. The potential profibrinolytic effect of different antidiabetic treatment profibrinolytic effect of different antidiabetic treatment modalities also received attention. The clinical significance of the apparent alteration of fibrinolysis in diabetes mellitus should be evaluated appropriately as a part of a complex disturbance of haemostatic balance in diabetes mellitus. Further studies and improved fibrinolytic methods seems to be required to ascertain a causal relationship between altered fibrinolysis and diabetic vascular complications.