title: A multi-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of liposomal prostaglandin E1 (TLC C-53) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety of liposomal PGE1 (TLC C-53) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and determine its efficacy in improving oxygenation and reducing ventilator dependency.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one hospitals in six European countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred two patients with ARDS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive infusions of either the study drug TLC C-53 or placebo. Infusions were given over 60 min every 6 h for 7 days. The dose of study drug started at 0.6 microg/kg per h, rising over 24 h to a maximum dose of 1.8 microg/kg per h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy patients received the study drug and 32 placebo. Sixty-nine patients (47 treatment, 22 placebo) completed the study protocol. Patients were monitored for changes in the PaO2/FIO2 ratio, changes in lung compliance, time to off-ventilator and 28-day mortality, in addition to basic haematological and haemodynamic parameters. There were no significant differences in demographics and baseline characteristics between the two groups. There were no differences in the time to off-ventilation (16 days with treatment, 16.6 days with placebo, p=0.94) or in 28-day mortality (30% with treatment, 28% with placebo, p=0.78). There was a difference in the time to achieve a PaO2/FIO2 ratio above 300 in favour of TLC C-53 (10.3 versus 26.5 days) but this was not statistically significant (p=0.23).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TLC C-53 was generally well-tolerated but failed to reduce mortality or duration of mechanical ventilation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Erasme University Hospital, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium. jlvincen@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brase
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santman
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Suter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McLuckie
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dhainaut
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karmel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000527:Alprostadil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008081:Liposomes; D008170:Lung Compliance / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D008081:Liposomes; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000527:Alprostadil