Summary
Patients with diabetes who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are at
high risk for thrombotic complications following the procedure. We sought to compare
the anti-thrombotic effect of bivalirudin to that of eptifibatide plus unfractionated
heparin in diabetic patients undergoing elective PCI. Thirty diabetic patients were
randomized to receive during PCI either bivalirudin (bivalirudin group, n=15) or eptifibatide
plus heparin (eptifibatide group, n=15) at standard dosing regimens. The drugs were
continued for 20 minutes (bivalirudin) or 18 hours (eptifibatide) after PCI. Blood
thrombogenicity was assessed using the Badimon ex vivo perfusion chamber. Each patient underwent two perfusion studies – at baseline (on
aspirin and clopidogrel) and 15–20 minutes following PCI. Perfusion studies were performed
at rheologic conditions of low and high shear rates (LSR, HSR). Porcine aortic tunica
media served as the thrombogenic substrate. Aortic specimens were stained for total
platelet-thrombus and fibrin deposition. Thrombus area was measured using computerized
planimetry. There were no differences in clinical characteristics or baseline thrombus
area between the two groups. Total platelet-thrombus area was reduced significantly
in both groups, but the degree of reduction was lower in the bivalirudin group compared
with the eptifibatide group (HSR: 69.5% vs. 89.3% reduction, respectively, P=0.04; LSR: 50.6% vs. 73.2%, P=0.03). Fibrin deposition was reduced in both groups by 47–49%. In conclusion, both
bivalirudin and the combination of eptifibatide plus heparin, given to diabetic patients
during PCI, achieved marked reductions in total thrombus formation and fibrin deposition.
However, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition by eptifibatide causeda more pronounced
reduction in thrombus formation.
Keywords
Antithrombin - diabetes/metabolic disorders - platelet pharmacology - antiplatelet
drugs - direct antithrombin agents