DETERMINATION OF TISSUE-TYPE PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR AND PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR INHIBITOR-1 IN YOUNG ADULTS WITH HYPERTENSION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN TEACHING HOSPITAL, EDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in our
environment. Available evidence shows that the prevalence of hypertension is increasing
among young adults due to rising cases of obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption and
sedentary lifestyle. Abnormal fibrinolysis has been found in hypertensives and this has been
shown to play a role in the development of some complications associated with hypertension.
This study was to determine the fibrinolytic activity in hypertensive adults and to explore the
relationship between fibrinolytic activity and hypertension related complications.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving young adult hypertensive
and normotensive participants as controls. A total of one hundred and forty (140) participants
comprising seventy (70) hypertensive and seventy (70) controls were recruited. Plasma
tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) activity was measured using AssaySense Human tPA
Chromogenic Activity kit while plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antigen levels
were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kit. Haematological
parameters were measured using the haematology automated analyser (Erma Inc. Model
PCE- 210N). Data was analysed using SPSS version 21.
RESULTS: The mean age for the hypertensive and control were 38.1 ± 6.2 years and 36.3 ± 5.3 years respectively (p = 0.110). The age bracket 30 – 39 years had more participants in both hypertensive and control groups with thirty-two (45.7%) and thirty-five (50.0%) participants respectively.
The mean tPA activity among hypertensive and control participants were found to be 3.6 IU/ml ± 2.4 and 1.0 IU/ml ± 0.2 respectively (P˂0.001). The mean PAI-1 antigen level in the hypertensive and control participants were 1.4ng/ml ± 0.6 and 1.4ng/ml ± 0.9 respectively (P=0.865). There was a weak but significant positive correlation between PAI-1 antigen level in hypertensives who had myocardial infarction (r=0.238; P=0.040).
The tPA activity correlated positively with the platelet count and this was statistically significant (r= 0.260; P=0.003). There was a weak but significant positive correlation between tPA activity and body mass index (r=0.341; P=0.019).
The PAI-1 was positively correlated with diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure and these were statistically significant (r=0.327,p=0.009; r=0.420, p=0.001; r=0.388, P=0.002) respectively.
CONCLUSION: There was increased tPA activity in young adult hypertensives. However, there
was no statistically significant difference in the mean PAI-1 antigen levels between
hypertensives and controls. There was statistically significant association between PAI-1 and
myocardial infarction in hypertensives. Platelet counts showed significant positive correlation
with tPA activity while PAI-1 antigen levels correlated positively with blood pressure in young
adult hypertensives.

DETERMINATION OF TISSUE-TYPE PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR AND PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR INHIBITOR-1 IN YOUNG ADULTS WITH HYPERTENSION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN TEACHING HOSPITAL, EDO STATE, NIGERIA