Comparison of the effects of pretreatment with tirofiban, clopidogrel or both on the inhibition of platelet aggregation and activation in patients with acute coronary syndromes.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to compare platelet inhibition produced by three antiplatelet regimens.


RESULTS
Sixty NSTE-ACS patients undergoing coronary angiography treated with aspirin and enoxaparin were randomised to receive tirofiban 0.4 microg/kg/min over 30 min plus 0.15 microg/kg/min over 24 h (A), clopidogrel 600 mg (B), clopidogrel 300 mg plus tirofiban (C); blood samples were taken at baseline and 2, 6 and 24 h after the drug administration, and were analyzed by light transmission aggregometry and flow cytometry. Treatment with clopidogrel 600 mg significantly reduced P-selectin expression in comparison with tirofiban alone at all time points (group B vs. A: P < 0.0001). However tirofiban inhibited platelet aggregation significantly more than clopidogrel 600 mg during the first 6 h (group A vs. B: P < 0.0001), and the addition of clopidogrel 300 mg did not inhibit platelet aggregation any more than tirofiban alone throughout the 24 h (group C vs. A: P = NS). All of the changes over time within each group were highly significant (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Tirofiban leads to greater early inhibition of platelet aggregation but less suppression of P-selectin expression than clopidogrel 600 mg. The addition of clopidogrel to tirofiban does not add any anti-aggregatory effect, but reduces P-selectin expression, thus likely adding a significant biological and clinical protective effect and providing a rationale for the combined use of the two drugs.
Divisione di Cardiologia, Ospedale Maggiore di Parma, Università degli Studi di Parma, Viale Gramsci 14, Parma, 43100, Italy. esolinas@ao.pr.it
Emilia
E
Solinas
Giuliana
G
Gobbi
George
G
Dangas
Roxana
R
Mehran
Martin
M
Fahy
Luigi
L
Ippolito
Maria Giulia
MG
Bolognesi
Ruben
R
Ruenes
Piera Angelica
PA
Merlini
Diego
D
Ardissino
Marco
M
Vitale
D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000032:analysis; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010979:Platelet Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077466:Tirofiban; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D019007:P-Selectin; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex; D014443:Tyrosine; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D000077466:Tirofiban; D013988:Ticlopidine