Author/Editor		Poredoš, Pavel
Title		Possibilities for clinical use of prostacyclin in vascular disease
Type		članek
Source		Pflugers Arch
Vol. and No.		Letnik 440, št. 5 Suppl
Publication year		2000
Volume		str. R137-8
Language		eng
Abstract		Currently available drug therapies for patients suffering severe ischaemia with rest pain and trophic lesions of the limbs remain unsatisfactory. Also vascular reopening proceduros are suitable in only about half of the patients. In atherosclerotic disease when the vascular endothelium is damaged prostacyclin synthesis is decreased and thromboxane A2 production increases. Prompted by this knowledge of the importance of prostacyclin in pathogenesis of atherosclerotic disease an attempt was made m employ PGI2 clinically - for treatment of advanced forms of peripheral arterial atherosclerotic disease. Favourable effects of the stable analogue of prostacyclin (Iloprost), were reported in various studies, which included patients with peripheral athersclerotic arterial disease, thromboangiitis obliterans and Raynaud's phenomenon. The use of Iloprost resulted in a significantly superior response than other drugs and placebo in terms of alleviation of rest pain ulcer healing and decrease of amputation rate of ischaemic limbs. Therefore prostacyclin provides a therapeutic option in patients with advanced forms of arterial disease - including critical ischaemia.
Descriptors		ARTERIAL OCCLUSIVE DISEASES ATHEROSCLEROSIS THROMBOANGIITIS OBLITERANS RAYNAUD'S DISEASE EPOPROSTENOL TREATMENT OUTCOME