QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATION OF TISSUE ACTIVATOR OF FIBRINOLYSIS IN NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICALLY CHANGED SKIN

The content of tissue activator of the normal and inflammatory changed human skin and skin tumors was investigated by means of the KSCN-extraction method. According with the results the skin belonged to tissues with middle high fibrinolytic activity. The parakeratotic scales from the skin of psoriasis vulgaris were very active in contrast to the orthokeratotic scales from the skin of ichthyosis congenita where activity was absent. Extracts from psoriatic skin exhibited normal values. The diminished activity in chronic inflammatory dermatoses (chronic eczema) was explained by the absence of the tissue activators in the cells of the inflammatory infiltrats. Therefrom the unsuitableness of an antifibrinolytic therapy in such dermatoses was concluded. The diminution of fibrinolytic activity in several skin tumors (fibroma, keratoacanthoma) and its enhancement in squamous cell carcinoma was discussed in view of the degree of maturation of the tumor cells and of the relations refered in the literature between tumor and surrounding stroma. Many kinds of tumors (nevus cell nevus, basal cell papilloma, basal cell carcinoma) produced a normal activity. The subcutaneous fatty tissue showed a clearly diminished fibrinolytic activity. The local fibrinolysis apparently has no decisive pathogenetic importance in the investigated dermatoses and skin tumors. © 1968 Springer-Verlag.