To investigate abnormalities in the hemostatic and fibrinolytic system in CAPD patients, parameters of coagulation, anticoagulation, fibrinolysis, and platelet function were measured in 21 CAPD patients and 20 healthy controls. The CAPD patients had significantly higher levels of factor (F) IX, FVII, FX, antithrombin III, thrombin/antithrombin III complex, protein C, protein S, thrombomodulin, fibrinogen, fibrinopeptide A, plasminogen, FXIII, alpha2-plasmin inhibitor, alpha2-plasmin inhibitor/plasmin complex, D-dimer, fibrinopeptide B beta 15-42, and beta-thromboglobin than the healthy controls. The CAPD patients also showed a shorter prothrombin time. However, tissue plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and platelet factor-4 did not show any significant differences from the levels in healthy controls. There was a significant positive correlation between many of the blood parameters and serum lipids. These results demonstrate that hypercoagulability and secondary hyperfibrinolysis occur in CAPD patients, and suggest that these changes may be related to abnormalities in lipid metabolism.