Successful treatment of Raynaud's syndrome with Iloprost, a chemically stable prostacyclin analogue.
Twelve female patients with severe secondary Raynaud's phenomenon were treated in a randomized order with both placebo and Iloprost infusions. Infusions were for 5 hours on 3 consecutive days and Iloprost was administered at variable dosage from 1.0 to 3.0 ng/kg/min. A 6-week follow-up period was used between the two sets of infusions. A significant number of patients reported Iloprost had improved Raynaud's symptomatology compared with placebo and this effect lasted for up to 6 weeks. The number of attacks of Raynaud's as recorded by patients in diary books was similarly reduced after Iloprost. Digital and nail-bed blood flows measured by laser-Doppler methods were increased for up to 6 weeks after Iloprost, but not after placebo infusions. Iloprost may be a useful therapeutic agent in the treatment of severe secondary Raynaud's syndrome.
Yardumian
D A
DA
Department of Haematology, University College, London, UK.
Isenberg
D A
DA
Rustin
M
M
Belcher
G
G
Snaith
M L
ML
Dowd
P M
PM
Machin
S J
SJ
D000368:Aged; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D016285:Iloprost; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
D011464:Epoprostenol; D016285:Iloprost