Mini-plasminogen-like fragments of plasminogen in synovial fluid in acute inflammatory arthritis.

Neutrophil elastase digests plasminogen to yield a fragment, mini-plasminogen, which is activatable to a mini-plasmin capable of escaping the action of the primary plasmin inhibitor. Such a molecule may play a role in joint destruction, either directly or by activation of procollagenase to collagenase. Synovial fluid samples from 34 acute joint effusions were examined by lysine-Sepharose chromatography and fibrinolytic assay of the fall-through (non-lysine-binding) fractions in presence of urokinase. Fragments similar to mini-plasminogen were found in 20 of 23 inflammatory effusions (cell count greater than 0.5 X 10(3)/microliter) and in none of 11 non-inflammatory (traumatic and osteoarthritic) effusions (cell count less than 0.5 X 10(3)/microliter) (p less than 0.001). Analysis of four inflammatory fluids by gel filtration on Bio-Gel P 100 and enzyme-linked immunoassay for plasminogen antigen revealed plasminogen fragments with molecular weight similar to mini-plasminogen (34,000 daltons) in three, and larger plasminogen fragments (or complexes of mini-plasminogen with other synovial fluid macromolecules) in all four. Fibrinolytic activity was demonstrable in fractions containing plasminogen fragments after treatment with tissue type plasminogen activator. In contrast with non-inflammatory effusions, inflammatory joint fluids contain plasminogen fragments with the properties of mini-plasminogen, suggesting their possible role in inflammatory joint destruction.