title: The effect of taprostene in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with thrombolytic therapy: results of the START study. Saruplase Taprostene Acute Reocclusion Trial.
abstract: Taprostene is a prostacyclin analogue that inhibits platelet aggregation and thus might be a useful adjuvant to thrombolytic agents in acute myocardial infarction. In a placebo-controlled dose rising study, taprostene or placebo was intravenously infused in 80 patients treated with the thrombolytic agent saruplase (rscu-PA) for acute myocardial infarction. Three doses of taprostene were used: 6.25; 12.5; or 25.0 ng.kg-1 x min-1. Taprostene or placebo was infused for 48 h, followed by a 24 h tapering period. All 80 patients had short symptom-to-treatment delay and marked ST segment elevation. Patency at 90 min was documented in 58/78 patients (two patients had no angiography). Success rate varied from 67-82% in the four treatment arms (P = 0.33). Patency after rescue PTCA was seen in 10 out of 13 patients. Of the 58 patients having a patent artery at 90 min, none of the 43 taprostene patients and one of the 15 placebo patients had a re-occluded artery at the second angiography at 32-48 h (5/58 patients had no recatheterization). Conversely, of nine patients who had successful rescue PTCA, three of four placebo patients had a re-occluded artery at the second angiography compared to one of five taprostene patients (one placebo patient had no recatheterization) (P = 0.33). Safety evaluation revealed no major difference between the placebo plus saruplase and the taprostene plus saruplase groups. Taprostene was well tolerated up to 25 ng.kg-1 x min-1. Although taprostene did not affect 90 min patency, there was a trend to better maintenance of patency after rescue PTCA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Academic Hospital, Maastricht, University of Limburg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Bär
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uebis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Groves
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vermeer
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D015996:Survival Rate; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C039188:taprostene; D011464:Epoprostenol; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; C067551:saruplase