In a prospective study selected fibrinolysis variables were assessed in plasma samples from 29 consecutive patients recovering a first instance of acute myocardial infarction and the results were correlated with reinfarction during the next four years. Nine patients suffered a reinfarction leaving a group of 20 patients without evidence of relapse. The reinfarction group was characterized by lower tissue plasminogen activator activities in plasma euglobulins (p less than 0.05), significantly higher plasma concentrations of tissue plasminogen activator antigen (p less than 0.002) and a tendency to a higher plasma level of plasminogen activator inhibition capacity. There were no significant differences between the groups in plasma concentrations of plasminogen, histidine-rich glycoprotein, plasminogen kringle-4-binding-protein, and alpha 2-antiplasmin.