title: A randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial of recombinant human tissue-type plasminogen activator in patients with unstable angina pectoris.
abstract: Twenty-four patients with unstable angina pectoris, defined as chest pain at rest with transient ST segment deviation of at least 1 mm, were randomly assigned to blinded treatment with either placebo or intravenous recombinant human tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Before randomization, all patients were treated with oral beta-blockers, calcium antagonists, nitrates, and continuous intravenous heparin for a monitoring period of 12 to 28 hr. After this monitoring period the 24 patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 1.75 mg/kg intravenous rt-PA given over 12 hr at a rate of 0.75 mg/kg over 1 hr, 0.5 mg/kg over 4 hr, and 0.5 mg/kg over 7 hr. One patient, assigned to receive placebo, developed acute myocardial infarction after randomization but before receiving the study drug. Ischemic events were recorded during a hospital follow-up period of at least 4 days unless a further intervention was indicated or the coronary angiogram was normal. The follow-up period was 7 +/- 5 days (mean +/- SD) after the placebo infusion and 8 +/- 4 days after the infusion of rt-PA. Unstable angina pectoris persisted after the completion of the infusion in six of 11 patients receiving placebo and only one of 12 patients receiving rt-PA (p less than .03). Coronary angiography, performed 38 +/- 19 hr after the infusion, demonstrated subocclusive thrombus in eight of 11 patients receiving placebo but in none of 11 patients treated with rt-PA (p less than .002). One patient on rt-PA refused coronary angiography.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D010919:Placebos; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator