title: Early glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors in primary angioplasty-abciximab long-term results (EGYPT-ALT) cooperation: individual patient's data meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Even although time to treatment has been shown to be a determinant of mortality in primary angioplasty, the potential benefits are still unclear from early pharmacological reperfusion by glycoprotein (Gp) IIb-IIIa inhibitors. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis was to combine individual data from all randomized trials conducted on upstream as compared with late peri-procedural abciximab administration in primary angioplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  The literature was scanned using formal searches of electronic databases (MEDLINE and EMBASE) from January 1990 to December 2010. All randomized trials on upstream abciximab administration in primary angioplasty were examined. No language restrictions were enforced.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included a total of seven randomized trials enrolling 722 patients, who were randomized to early (n = 357, 49.4%) or late (n = 365, 50.6%) peri-procedural abciximab administration. No difference in baseline characteristics was observed between the two groups. Follow-up data were collected at a median (25th-75th percentiles) of 1095 days (720-1967). Early abciximab was associated with a significant reduction in mortality (primary endpoint) [20% vs. 24.6%; hazard ratio (HR) 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.65 (0.42-0.98) P = 0.02, P(het) = 0.6]. Furthermore, early abciximab administration was associated with a significant improvement in pre-procedural thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) 3 flow (21.6% vs. 10.1%, P < 0.0001), post-procedural TIMI 3 flow (90% vs. 84.8%, P = 0.04), an improvement in myocardial perfusion as evaluated by post-procedural myocardial blush grade (MBG) 3 (52.0% vs. 43.2%, P = 0.03) and ST-segment resolution (58.4% vs. 43.5%, P < 0.0001) and significantly less distal embolization (10.1% vs. 16.2%, P = 0.02). No difference was observed in terms of major bleeding complications between early and late abciximab administration (3.3% vs. 2.3%, P = 0.4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis shows that early upstream administration of abciximab in patients undergoing primary angioplasty for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with significant benefits in terms of pre-procedural epicardial re-canalization and ST-segment resolution, which translates in to significant mortality benefits at long-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Maggiore della Carità Hospital, Eastern Piedmont University, Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: DE Luca
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bellandi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noc
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Petronio
authors.forename: H-R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Arntz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maioli
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zorman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DE Carlo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rakowski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gyongyosi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dudek
mesh_terms: D000077284:Abciximab; D017130:Angioplasty; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D039661:Integrin beta3 / Q000187:drug effects*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D039661:Integrin beta3; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077284:Abciximab