title: Clinical and haemostatic effects of intravenous prostaglandin E1 therapy in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trifiletti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scamardi
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pizzoleo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sottilotta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soraci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Attinà
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bagnato
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barbera
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000527:Alprostadil