title: Defibrotide therapy for thrombophlebitis--controlled clinical trial.
abstract: Deep venous thrombosis is a common disease with significant danger of both acute and chronic complications. Widely accepted therapies are based on anticoagulant (heparin and/or anticoagulant agents) or early fibrinolytic therapy. All these therapies frequently have severe side effects. Defibrotide is a new drug with antithrombotic and profibrinolytic activities but without anticoagulant activity and major side effects. To evaluate the efficacy of this drug against acute thrombophlebitis, we treated a group of 10 patients with 200 mg defibrotide intravenously three times a day for 15 days. Fibrinolysis parameters were monitored every other day. The indices of venous function by strain-gauge plethysmography and venous occlusion were evaluated every 7 days. The drug induced a significant improvement in plethysmographic indices and a significant profibrinolytic activity. Defibrotide-treated patients showed a fast disappearance of clinical and instrumental signs of thrombophlebitis. No side effects were reported during the study.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000378:metabolism; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides; C036901:defibrotide; D000990:Antithrombin III