Independence of activation of the fibrinolytic system from certain immunologic systems

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Abstract
Activation of the immunologic system either in vitro or in vivo results in nearly complete consumption of complement without activation of the fibrinolytic system. However complement activity decreased upon the induction of fibrinolytic activity even in the absence of an antigen-antibody reaction. Presumably this is due to proteolysis of some part of the complement complex since complement activity was found to be destroyed in the presence of small quantities of purified fibrinolysin. These observations are consistent with the conclusion that a) the components of complement and those of the fibrinolytic system are separate and discrete entities; b) that reactions involving complement fixation and activation do not directly influence the fibrinolytic system; and c) that activation of the fibrinolytic system results in decreases in complement through proteolysis of one or more of its components by the fibrinolysin which develops.