Direct Determination of Fibrinolytic Activity of Human Saliva

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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to determine directly the presence of fibrinolytic activity in human saliva, by means of a modification of the human plasma euglobulin fractionation method. The euglobulin fraction of the plasma, which contains the inactive enzyme plasminogen, was added to prepared human fibrinogen and clotted with thrombin. Normally, this clot does not undergo lysis. Substituting saliva for euglobulin, lysis was obtained in 11-84 minutes, indicative of pronounced fibrinolytic activity in the saliva. Also in 1100 diluted euglobulin fraction, streptokinase and bovine fibrinogen were added and clotted with thrombin. The bovine plasminogen is not activated by the added streptokinase, as it lacks a proactivator present in human plasma. This system in normal individuals undergoes lysis within 1-2 hours. However, when saliva was substituted for euglobulin clot lysis was observed within 6-10 minutes. This confirms also the presence of a plasminogen activator (proactivator) in saliva that has been demonstrated by modification of the Astrup fibrin plate method. The results suggest that the fibrinolytic activity originated in the gland or from tissue cells rather than bacteria.

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