Tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen and consumption of dairy products. The DESIR study

We investigated whether tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen (t-PA-Ag) was associated with intake of meat, fish, or dairy products. The study population comprised 295 women and 299 men aged 30-64 years, which was a random sample from the D.E.S.I.R. (Data from an Epidemiological Study on the Insulin Resistance syndrome) study comprising 5214 men and women in total. T-PA-Ag was measured in fasting blood samples and the habitual intake of foods was assessed by several questions on a food frequency questionnaire. Cross-sectional data were analyzed. The mean t-PA-Ag concentration was 3.28 ng/mL (SD, 1.26) in men and 2.52 ng/mL (SD, 1.22) in women. The concentration of t-PA-Ag was inversely associated with the consumption of milk and milk products in women (p for trend: 0.15) and in men (p for trend: 0.04). The difference between subjects with a low and a high milk consumption was 13% in women and 19% in men. Similar results were observed for consumption of cheese. The concentration of t-PA-Ag was 21 and 8% lower for women and men with a high cheese consumption, respectively, compared to those with a low consumption. Further analyses showed that the association of t-PA-Ag with milk and milk product consumption was independent of cheese consumption and vice versa. No association between meat or fish intake and t-PA-Ag was observed. The results of this study indicate that, if confirmed by others, a high intake of dairy products may influence fibrinolysis by an effect on t-PA-Ag. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.