Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor in young patients with myocardial infarction and its relationship with the fibrinolytic function and the protein C system

Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is a fibrinolytic inhibitor. Studies in coronary artery disease have reported increased TAFI activity (TAFI Act) and low TAFI antigen (TAFI Ag) levels. This controversy might be explained by the polymorphisms of its gene. Only the Thr325Ile polymorphism modulates both TAFI Ag and Act levels in vitro. This study assessed TAFI Ag and Act levels, TAFI Thr325Ile polymorphism, the fibrinolytic and protein C systems and some prothrombotic mutations in a young patient group (n = 127, aged < 51 years, with myocardial infarction) and a control group (n = 99) with similar characteristics. Patients exhibited hypofibrinolysis and higher plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels. Although TAFI Ag was lower, TAFI Act level was significantly higher in patients and positively correlated with PAI-1, protein C inhibitor and the euglobulin lysis time. No differences between groups were found according to the Thr325Ile polymorphism. Irrespective of the genotype, patients had higher TAFI Act levels. The Ile-325 variant exhibited lower TAFI Ag levels. We suggest that the hypofibrinolysis observed in these patients results from an increase in both PAI-1 and TAFI Act, which is not related to the Thr325Ile polymorphism. Patients have high TAFI Act with low TAFI Ag levels, probably because of an increased stability of TAFI related to a fibrinolytic hypofunction.