title: Defibrotide and peripheral obliterative arterial disease: preliminary data.
abstract: In a pilot study, defibrotide was administered to 22 patients with arterial occlusive disease of the lower limbs (mean age 59 years; range 48-71 years), of whom 12 were Fontaine 2nd stage and 10 Fontaine 3rd stage. In the first group, treatment enabled significant improvement in the walking distance (580 +/- 95 vs 220 +/- 65 m; M +/- SD; p less than 0.001), even 15 days after discontinuation of therapy (445 +/- 110 m; p less than 0.05). In 3rd stage patients, treatment caused reasonable reduction of pain, with elimination of resting pain in 4 patients. Both groups underwent no modification of Doppler velocimetry and Winsor index, while photoplethysmography in 8 patients at 2nd- and in 3 patients at 3rd-stage showed improvement at the end of treatment. There were no modifications of hepatic, renal, hemopoietic and hemocoagulative functions. Beta-thromboglobulin showed a statistically significant reduction (62 +/- 10 vs 116 +/- 18 ng/ml; M +/- SEM; p less than 0.001), from 2 weeks after the first dose until 15 days after discontinuation of therapy. Defibrotide proved particularly efficacious in Fontaine 2nd-stage patients, showing its suitability for treating the stages of occlusive atherosclerotic disease at which collateral circulation can still be activated.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica dell'Università di Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arosio
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pancera
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zannoni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arcaro
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Priante
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lechi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012212:Rheology
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides; C036901:defibrotide