title: Comparison of the influence of ticagrelor and clopidogrel on inflammatory biomarkers and vascular endothelial function for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction receiving emergency percutaneous coronary intervention: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes (PLATO, Eur J Prev Cardiol 22(6):734-42, 2015) trial shows that, in patients who have an acute coronary syndrome, treatment with ticagrelor as compared with clopidogrel significantly reduced the rate of death, but the reason is still uncertain. Both inflammation and vascular endothelian cell dysfunction play important roles in the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic plaques, but whether ticagrelor has superior anti-inflammatory effect and can improve vascular endothelial cell function to a great extent is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with STEMI who are scheduled to undergo emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) will be randomly assigned to receive a loading dose of ticagrelor 180 mg as the treatment group or clopidogrel 600 mg as the control group. After PCI, the treatment group will be treated with ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily while the control group will be treated with clopidogrel 75 mg once daily. The vascular endothelial function will be tested by circulating endothelial cells, and levels of inflammation will be tested by CD40 ligand (CD40L), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and P-selectin. The estimated enrollment sample size will be 350 patients, including 175 in the treatment group and 175 in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study will compare the influence of ticagrelor and clopidogrel on inflammatory biomarkers and vascular endothelial function firstly for STEMI patients receiving emergency PCI and will provide evidence to identify whether ticagrelor inhibits inflammation and improves vascular endothelial cell function to a greater extent than clopidogrel or not.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This trial was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT02123004) on 20 April 2014.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong, China. lizhenhua675@hotmail.com.
authors: Zhenhua
authors: Z
authors: Li
authors: Department of Cardiology, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong, China. 504727248@qq.com.
authors: Yueyan
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong, China. zhangtao120120@163.com.
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Cardiology, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong, China. miaowei@medmail.com.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Miao
authors: Department of Cardiology, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong, China. sgh7058@126.com.
authors: Guohai
authors: G
authors: Su
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000097:blood; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D011446:Prospective Studies; D058921:Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018401:Sample Size; D000077486:Ticagrelor; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019007:P-Selectin; D058921:Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists; D023201:CD40 Ligand; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D000077486:Ticagrelor; D000241:Adenosine; D013988:Ticlopidine