Acute coronary syndromes constitute a spectrum of clinical conditions and can be divided into non-ST segment elevation (unstable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction) and ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. They are major causes of morbidity and mortality. Hospital admissions for unstable angina are increasing (estimated approximately 130 000 patients per year in the UK) and have...

BACKGROUND Numerous clinical trials have established the benefits of intravenous glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition in the management of coronary artery disease. In contrast, the recent large-scale, placebo-controlled, randomized trials of the oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists have failed to provide commensurate reductions in late composite ischemic end points despite potent inhibition of pl...

Whereas bleeding is the most frequent adverse event encountered in patients receiving glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors, there are currently no recommendations for how to treat such patients. The present study tested the hypothesis that infusion of desmopressin (DDAVP) reverses the in vitro platelet dysfunction induced by GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors (+l-aspirin). Study group 1 (10 healthy volunte...

Acute coronary syndromes constitute a spectrum of clinical conditions and can be divided into non-ST segment elevation (unstable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction) and ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. They are major causes of morbidity and mortality. Hospital admissions for unstable angina are increasing (estimated approximately 130 000 patients per year in the UK) and have...

Glu-plasminogen, the native form of plasminogen, interacts in a specific and saturable manner with unstimulated human platelets, and the binding is enhanced fivefold by thrombin stimulation (Miles and Plow, 1985. J. Biol. Chem. 260:4303). This study characterizes the nature of the Glu-plasminogen binding sites by analyzing platelets deficient in selected proteins and functions. Platelets from p...

Two monoclonal antibodies--one that blocks ristocetin-induced platelet binding of von Willebrand factor to glycoprotein Ib and one that blocks adenosine diphosphate-induced binding of fibrinogen to the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex--were used to assess the binding site(s) for von Willebrand factor when platelets are stimulated with thrombin or adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Neither agonist induce...

Platelets play a major role in the development of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and thromboembolic complications during and after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Because of the widespread usage of platelet inhibitor agents in the treatment of patients with a broad spectrum of ACS it appears to be important to review the data concerning the usefulness and limitations of these agents....

We previously reported the presence in platelet eluates of autoantibodies directed against epitopes of the platelet glycoprotein (GP)IIb/IIIa complex in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-free human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with immunologic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). We investigated whether HIV antibodies recognized platelet membrane antigens to determine wheth...

BACKGROUND Parenteral administration of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GP IIb/IIIa) receptor blockers can reduce ischemic complications of coronary angioplasty. Orally active GP IIb/IIIa blockers may allow more sustained receptor antagonism with the potential for long-term secondary prevention. The pharmacodynamic efficacy, clinical safety, and outcomes after prolonged receptor blockade with a...

BACKGROUND Pretreatment is not the most common strategy practiced for clopidogrel administration in elective coronary stenting. Moreover, limited information is available on the antiplatelet pharmacodynamics of a 300-mg versus a 600-mg clopidogrel loading dose, and the comparative effect of eptifibatide with these regimens is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS Patients undergoing elective stenting ...