Analysis of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in rheumatoid arthritis using the urokinase activated thromboelastography

: The urokinase activated thromboelastography is useful for the analysis of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In 43 RA patients without extraarticular symptoms (mean year old +/- SD = 50.3 +/- 10.9) and 20 healthy control subjects (mean year old +/- SD = 49.5 +/- 13.8, which is not significant), we have examined reaction time (r), coagulation time (k), r+k, maximal amplitude (ma), lysis time (LT) of the urokinase (final density = 85U/ml) activated platelet rich plasma thromboelastography. In RA patients r, k, r+k are shorter, ma is larger, LT is longer than in control subjects. Especially, k, ma and LT are remarkably statistically significant. these findings suggest that most of RA patients have hypercoagulability and/or prolongation of lysis time simultaneously, k, ma and LT are pathophysiologically important.