Administration of eptifibatide to acute coronary syndrome patients receiving enoxaparin or unfractionated heparin: Effect on platelet function and thrombus formation

Eli I. Lev, David Hasdai, Erez Scapa, Ana Tobar, Abid Assali, Judith Lahav, Alexander Battler, Juan J. Badimon, Ran Kornowski

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objectives The goal of this study was to compare the antithrombotic effects of enoxaparin versus unfractionated heparin (UFH) when combined with eptifibatide in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. Background An increasing number of high-risk ACS patients are treated with low-molecular-weight heparin and a glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitor. There is a paucity of data regarding the antithrombotic properties of such a combination as compared with UFH and GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors. Methods Twenty-six ACS patients scheduled to undergo coronary angiography were treated with subcutaneous enoxaparin (n = 13) or intravenous UFH (n = 13). All patients received eptifibatide just before coronary angiography. Antithrombotic effects were assessed as changes in platelet-thrombus formation using the Badimon ex vivo perfusion chamber. Perfusions were carried out at a high shear rate (HSR) and a low shear rate (LSR). Patients underwent two perfusion studies: at baseline (under enoxaparin or UFH) and 10 min after the eptifibatide bolus. Platelet function was evaluated by ADP-induced platelet aggregation and the rapid platelet function analyzer. Results Both therapeutic combinations achieved a marked reduction in platelet aggregation after eptifibatide (83% to 89.7% reduction in the enoxaparin-eptifibatide group and 77.8% to 85.5% reduction in the UFH-eptifibatide group, inter-group differences not significant). Both groups also demonstrated marked reductions in thrombus formation, but the reductions achieved in the enoxaparin-eptifibatide group were significantly higher than those achieved in the UFH-eptifibatide group (HSR: 75.6% reduction vs. 63.9%, respectively, p = 0.01; LSR: 79.7% reduction vs. 66.1%, respectively, p = 0.0001). Conclusions The combination of eptifibatide with enoxaparin appears to have a more potent antithrombotic effect than that of eptifibatide and UFH in the doses tested.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)966-971
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology
Volume43
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 17 Mar 2004
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • ACS
  • ACT
  • Activated clotting time
  • Activated partial thromboplastin time
  • Acute coronary syndrome
  • GP
  • Glycoprotein
  • HSR
  • High shear rate
  • LMWH
  • LSR
  • Low shear rate
  • Low-molecular-weight heparin
  • MI
  • Myocardial infarction
  • PCI
  • aPTT

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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