Irish Perinatal Society Proceedings of Autumn Meeting held in Portlaoise, 22nd September, 1990

tPA was higher in peripheral blood in PET (p=0.001) and PET/ IUGR (p<0.05) than in normal pregnancies. Uterine vein tPA was raised in PET/IUGR. Tissue levels oftPA were similar in all groups. PAI-1 was elevated in peripheral blood in PET (p<0.01) and in uterine venous blood in PET/IUGR (p<0.05). Placental PAL1 was higher in PET and PET/IUGR than in normal pregnancies. PAl-2 was lower in the uterine and peripheral blood in both PET and PET/ PET=0.001 IUGR. Lowest levels of placental PAI-2 were obtained from the PET/IUGR group. An imbalance in uteroplacental fibrinolysis occurs in pre-eclampsia. The increase in PAl- 1 and decrease in PAl-2 are greater when PET is complicated by IUGR.