The stability of PAI-activity has been studied at different conditions. The inactivation followed first order kinetics. Lowering the temperature and decreasing the pH both, increased the stability of PAI-1 dramatically. Addition of the PAI-1 binding protein, vitronectin, to reactivated PAI-1, about doubled the half-life of PAI-1 at all conditions studied. In the presence of chloramine T, the inactivation of reactivated PAI-1 was very rapid. In this case the protective effect of purified vitronectin, human plasma or fetal calf serum, but not of bovine serum albumin, was pronounced. The stability of the spontaneously active high Mr form of PAI-1 (partially purified or in plasma), constituting a complex between PAI-1 and vitronectin, was quite similar to reactivated PAI-1 in the presence of vitronectin. Addition of pure vitronectin, human plasma or fetal calf serum to such material had no further stabilizing effect. Reactivated PAI-1, which was inactivated by incubation at physiological conditions could again be fully reactivated, in contrast to chloramine T-oxidized PAI-1, which was irreversibly inactivated.