Clinical and haemostatic effects of intravenous prostaglandin E1 therapy in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease.
BACKGROUND
In this study the action of an antiaggregatory prostaglandin, PGE1, was studied in a group of patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD).


METHODS
In 16 patients with PAOD Fontaine stage IIb and III the clinical and haemostatic effects of the endovenous administration of 60 micrograms/die of alprostadil-PGE1 for four weeks, were evaluated. Before and after pharmacological treatment, were evaluated the clinical symptoms (claudicatio intermittens and rest pain) and the following haemostatic parameters: plasma thrombomodulin (TM), beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG), D-dimer (DD), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator-inhibitor (PAI-1).


RESULTS
No significant difference in plasma TM, t-PA and PAI-1 levels was observed after the treatment. On the other hand the patients showed plasma levels of beta-TG and DD significantly decreased at the end of the treatment. From the clinical point of view both claudicatio intermittens and rest pain satisfactorily improved in all patients.


CONCLUSIONS
This data confirmed the therapeutic efficacy of PGE1 in the treatment of PAOD patients.
Trifiletti
A
A
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
Scamardi
R
R
Pizzoleo
M A
MA
Sottilotta
G
G
Soraci
S
S
Attinà
A
A
Bagnato
L
L
Barbera
N
N
D000368:Aged; D000527:Alprostadil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000527:Alprostadil