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G Montalescot

Publications and source records attributed to G Montalescot.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Fibrinogen: a cardiovascular risk factor].

AN INDEPENDENT RISK FACTOR: Pathophysiological and epidemiological data show that fibrinogen is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis with a synergistic effect on classical risk factors. CORONARY ARTERIES: Serum fibrinogen level is an independent predictor of the presence and severity of atheromatous lesions of the coronary arteries. It is also predictive of coronary events such as sudden death, myocardial infarction or angina pectoris. OTHER VESSELS: Fibrinogen is also a marker of cerebrovascular events or transient ischemia and a factor predictive of recurrent cerebrovascular events. Serum fibrinogen level is correlated with the progression of carotid lesions. Finally, fibrinogen is an independent predictive factor of the severity of atherosclerosis of the thoracic aorta, lower limb arteriopathy, and more generally silent atherosclerotic plaques. PERSPECTIVES: A large-scale prospective study is needed to determine whether drug-induced reduction in serum fibrinogen can reduce the rate of cardiovascular events.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Effect of prior exposure to Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, or cytomegalovirus on the degree of inflammation and one-year prognosis of patients with unstable angina pectoris or non-Q-wave acute myocardial infarction.

Inflammation and chronic infections may be important features in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes. We describe 6 systemic markers of inflammation in patients with unstable angina or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction and the relations between these markers, seropositivity to chronic infections, and prognosis. C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A protein (SAA), fibrinogen, interleukin-6 (IL-6), neopterin, procalcitonin, and serum antibody levels to Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, and cytomegalovirus were measured on admission and 48 hours later. One-year clinical follow-up was performed. Plasma levels of acute phase reactants were all elevated on admission and increased further at 48 hours: CRP from 10.1 +/- 2.1 mg/L at baseline to 26.6 +/- 5.1 mg/L at 48 hours (p <0.001); SAA from 27.3 +/- 8.5 to 93.1 +/- 23.2 mg/dl (p <0.005); fibrinogen from 3.2 +/- 0.1 to 3.8 +/- 0.1 g/L (p <0.0001); whereas initial high levels of IL-6 tended also to increase from 9.8 +/- 2 to 15.3 +/- 3.1 pg/ml (p = NS). In contrast, neopterin and procalcitonin remained unchanged. We found no association between levels of each inflammatory marker and the serologic status. Furthermore, levels of inflammatory proteins in patients seronegative to all 3 agents were comparable to those of patients seropositive to 2 or 3 infectious agents. The composite end points of death, myocardial infarction, recurrent angina, or revascularization at 1-year follow-up did not differ according to the serologic status. Thus, in patients with acute coronary syndromes, the acute phase proteins increased over the first 2 days of hospitalization. This initial inflammatory reaction as well as the 1-year clinical outcome did not differ according to the initial serologic status of Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, or cytomegalovirus.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed2000

Low molecular weight heparin after mechanical heart valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Patients with mechanical heart valves require life-long anticoagulation. We report here the first large and comparative series of consecutive patients anticoagulated with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) after mechanical heart valve replacement. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this comparative, nonrandomized study, 208 consecutive patients who underwent a single or double heart valve replacement with mechanical prostheses were anticoagulated subcutaneously with unfractionated heparin (UH) in the first period (n=106) and LMWH in the second phase (n=102) of the study. Baseline characteristics were similar in the 2 groups. The mean durations of UH and LMWH treatments were 13.6+/-0.5 and 14.1+/-0.6 days, respectively (not significant). On the second day of treatment, 87% of patients treated with LMWH had an anti-Xa activity within the range of efficacy (0.5 to 1 IU/mL), but only 9% of UH-treated patients had an activated partial-thromboplastin time value within the therapeutic range (1.5 to 2.5 times control, P<0.0001 between the 2 groups). On the last day of prescription, all LMWH-treated patients had anti-Xa activity above 0.5 IU/mL, but 19% were above 1 IU/mL. In the UH group, 27% of patients had an activated partial-thromboplastin time above 1.5 times control, but 62% were overanticoagulated. Two major bleedings occurred in each group, and one stroke occurred in the UH group. CONCLUSIONS: In this first comparative study, anticoagulation with LMWHs after mechanical heart valve replacement appears feasible, provides adequate biological anticoagulation, and compares favorably with UH anticoagulation. Randomized studies are now needed to further evaluate this new therapeutic approach.

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed2000

Value of antiplatelet therapy in preventing thrombotic events in generalized vascular disease.

Atherothrombosis is the major underlying cause of acute coronary syndromes, ischemic stroke, and peripheral artery disease, and thus is the leading cause of death and disability in Western countries. Platelet inhibitors play a major role in preventing these ischemic complications. There is strong evidence from the Antiplatelet Trialists' Collaboration meta-analysis that aspirin reduces the combined risk of stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or vascular death in atherosclerotic patients. The Ticlopidine Aspirin Stroke Study (TASS) compared aspirin and ticlopidine in the secondary prevention of high-risk patients after ischemic stroke and demonstrated a significant advantage for ticlopidine over aspirin. In peripheral arterial disease, the Swedish Ticlopidine Multicentre Study (STIMS) showed that ticlopidine was very effective against placebo. Intravenous antiplatelet agents, such as abciximab, tirofiban, and eptifibitide were also proven effective in acute coronary syndromes and unstable angina. In the Clopidogrel versus Aspirin in Patients at Risk of Ischaemic Events (CAPRIE) trial, clopidogrel was compared with aspirin in patients with symptomatic atherothrombosis regardless of the initial localization of the ischemic event (coronary, cerebral, or peripheral). The efficacy of clopidogrel based on the first occurrence of ischemic stroke, MI, or vascular death showed a relative risk reduction of 8.7% over and above the 25% reduction currently accepted with aspirin (p < 0.05). The greatest benefit of clopidogrel was in the reduction of fatal and nonfatal MI in the most severe groups of patients, providing a 19% relative risk reduction (p = 0.008). The recent disappointing results obtained with oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor blocking agents may emphasize the need for other antiplatelet combination therapy, such as aspirin-clopidogrel, in coronary disease, stents, stroke, and possibly atherothrombosis in high-risk patients.

Arteriosclerosis↗
PubMed2000

Effects of various anticoagulant treatments on von Willebrand factor release in unstable angina.

OBJECTIVES: We tested the hypothesis that different anticoagulant treatments may produce different platelet effects and von Willebrand factor (vWf) release in unstable angina. BACKGROUND: The early increase of vWf has been reported to be a risk factor for adverse outcome in unstable angina. Anticoagulant drugs play a key role in stabilization of unstable angina, but they may not have the same efficacy and the same effects on acute vWf release. METHODS: We studied 154 patients enrolled in several clinical trials testing four different anticoagulant treatments in unstable angina or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction. Patients were treated during at least 48 h by either intravenous unfractionated heparin, one of two different low molecular weight heparins (enoxaparin or dalteparin) or the direct thrombin inhibitor PEG-hirudin. All patients received aspirin but no Ib/IIIa inhibitors. RESULTS: The release of vWf over the first 48 h (delta vWf) did not relate to the baseline clinical characteristics. At 30 days of follow-up, delta vWf was sevenfold higher in patients with an end point (death, myocardial infarction, revascularization) than in patients free of events (+53 +/-7% vs. +7 +/-14%, p = 0.004). The same trend was present for each component of the composite end point with the highest levels for one-month mortality (+87 +/- 32% vs. +26 +/- 8%, p = 0.09). The vWf values did not increase over 48 h in patients receiving either enoxaparin or PEG-hirudin (+10 +/- 9% and -5 +/- 20%, respectively). A serious rise ofvWf was measured in unfractionated heparin-treated patients (+87 +/- 11%), which differed significantly from the enoxaparin group (p = 0.0006) and PEG-hirudin group (p < 0.0001). In dalteparin-treated patients, delta vWf was elevated (+48 +/- 8%) and did not differ from the unfractionated heparin group (NS). CONCLUSIONS: We confirm that, in unstable angina patients, a rise of vWf over the first 48 h is associated with an impaired outcome at 30 days. Moreover, the four different anticoagulant treatments tested here do not provide the same protection with regards to vWf release, which may have important prognostic implications and explain different results observed in recent clinical trials.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Influence of fibrin network conformation and fibrin fiber diameter on fibrinolysis speed: dynamic and structural approaches by confocal microscopy.

Abnormal fibrin architecture is thought to be a determinant factor of hypofibrinolysis. However, because of the lack of structural knowledge of the process of fibrin digestion, relationships between fibrin architecture and hypofibrinolysis remain controversial. To elucidate further structural and dynamic changes occurring during fibrinolysis, cross-linked plasma fibrin was labeled with colloidal gold particles, and fibrinolysis was followed by confocal microscopy. Morphological changes were characterized at fibrin network and fiber levels. The observation of a progressive disaggregation of the fibrin fibers emphasizes that fibrinolysis proceeds by transverse cutting rather than by progressive cleavage uniformly around the fiber. Plasma fibrin clots with a tight fibrin conformation made of thin fibers were dissolved at a slower rate than those with a loose fibrin conformation made of thicker (coarse) fibers, although the overall fibrin content remained constant. Unexpectedly, thin fibers were cleaved at a faster rate than thick ones. A dynamic study of FITC-recombinant tissue plasminogen activator distribution within the fibrin matrix during the course of fibrinolysis showed that the binding front was broader in coarse fibrin clots and moved more rapidly than that of fine plasma fibrin clots. These dynamic and structural approaches to fibrin digestion at the network and the fiber levels reveal aspects of the physical process of clot lysis. Furthermore, these results provide a clear explanation for the hypofibrinolysis related to a defective fibrin architecture as described in venous thromboembolism and in premature coronary artery disease.

Fibrin↗
PubMed2000

Economic evaluation of enoxaparin sodium versus heparin in unstable angina. A French sub-study of the ESSENCE trial.

OBJECTIVES: To perform an evaluation from the societal perspective of the cost of treatment with enoxaparin sodium versus unfractionated heparin (UFH) in patients with unstable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction in France. DESIGN: Four complementary cost-minimisation analyses based on the results of the Efficacy and Safety of Subcutaneous Enoxaparin in Non-Q wave Coronary Events (ESSENCE) international trial were conducted. We assessed differences in medical resource consumption and in duration of hospital stay in the whole study population (n = 3171) and for the French patients (n = 133). RESULTS: Results were consistent for the study group as a whole and for the French subgroup. Among patients treated with enoxaparin sodium, there was a statistically significant reduction in the use of angiography and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (whole group study: p = 0.024 and 0.006, respectively) and a trend towards shorter lengths of hospital stay. The differences in angiography and angioplasty rates led to estimated average net cost savings with enoxaparin sodium of French Francs (FF)1555 per treated patient (whole study population) and FF9993 (French subgroup) [1996 values]. The analyses based on the duration of hospital stay resulted in estimated net cost savings with enoxaparin sodium of between FF1014 per treated patient (whole study population) and FF2804 (French subgroup). CONCLUSION: Our study confirmed earlier results which show that enoxaparin sodium is cost saving in the treatment of unstable angina.

Angina, Unstable↗
PubMed1999

[Low molecular weight heparin in unstable angina and myocardial infarction without Q wave].

SEARCH FOR MORE EFFECTIVE ANTICOAGULATION: The limitations of conventional treatment with non-fractionated heparin (NFH) in patients with unstable angina and myocardial infarction without Q wave are demonstrated by the 7 to 9% rate of serious complications (infarction and/or death) at 30 days and has motivated search on the use of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH). PROVEN CLINICAL EFFICACY: As early as 1995, a pilot study reported the superiority of the aspirin-LMWH (nadroparin) combination compared with aspirin alone or the aspirin-NFH combination. In 1996, the FRIC study compared for the first time a LMWH with conventional NFH and reported rather disappointing results with LMWH (dalteparin). However, the ESSENCE study showed the success of LMWH (enoxaparin) versus NFH in unstable angina and infarction without Q wave. A MORE COMFORTABLE PRESCRIPTION: The subcutaneous administration, the lack of a need for laboratory tests, better predictability of the anticoagulant effect and better tolerance are powerful arguments favoring LMWH for use in unstable angina and infarction without Q wave. ROLE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE CORONARY PATIENTS: LMWH have come to play an important role in the management of uncontrolled coronary artery disease where treatment protocols are evolving rapidly with the development of new antiplatelet compounds. The requirement for prolonged oral antiplatelet or LMWH treatment in ambulatory patients after an acute coronary event remains to be evaluated.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1999

Spontaneous late improvement of myocardial viability in the chronic infarct zone is possible, depending on persistent TIMI 3 flow and a low grade stenosis of the infarct artery.

OBJECTIVE: In the chronic phase of myocardial infarction, the relation between myocardial recovery and infarct related artery status remains unclear. The spontaneous changes in rest-redistribution thallium defect size were prospectively studied over six months in 52 patients with chronic Q wave myocardial infarction. DESIGN: Changes in rest thallium defect size, thallium uptake in the infarct area, and radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction were compared to the quantitative coronary angiogram data. Two groups of patients were considered: patients with a percentage of stenosis below 100% (group 1, n = 31); and patients with an occluded artery (group 2, n = 21). RESULTS: In the overall population, the mean (SD) defect size decreased from 28.2 (17.2)% to 24.9 (19.3)% of the whole myocardium (p = 0.01), while, in this area, the thallium uptake increased from 62.9 (13.7)% to 66. 9 (15.6)% (p < 0.001). At the time of inclusion, the defect size, thallium uptake, and ejection fraction were similar in both groups. In group 1 patients only, the reduction in defect size correlated with the improvement in ejection fraction (r = 0.41, p = 0.02) and was related to the percentage of coronary artery stenosis. TIMI 3 patients reduced the defect size while other patients increased this defect (-5.1 (7.0)% v +11.0 (14.4)%, p < 0.001). In contrast, no significant relations were found in group 2 patients. CONCLUSION: Late spontaneous recovery in thallium defect can occur in patients with a patent infarct related artery, depending on the TIMI flow grade and a low grade stenosis of the infarct related artery, and is associated with functional improvement.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

IIb/IIIa inhibitors in acute myocardial infarction.

Platelets play a key role both in ischemic complications after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Until recently, there was no treatment to dissolve the platelet clot. Indeed, the plasminogen activators achieve fibrin lysis but their platelet activating side-effects and their prothrombotic effects led to failure in PTCA trials and to a significant rate of reocclusions in thrombolysis trials. A new class of platelet antagonists directed against the platelet membrane glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor has undergone extensive evaluation in the prevention of ischemic complications of PTCA. In contrast, its development in the treatment of AMI is just starting. This class of medications has the potential to improve clinical outcome of AMI treated either with primary angioplasty or with thrombolysis.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗
PubMed1999

[Antithrombotics and interventional cardiology].

Angioplasty is a technique associated until recently with aspirin and heparin therapy, two classical molecules, for the prevention of thrombotic complications. The first therapeutic innovation has been the introduction of Reopro (abciximab, c7E3). The abciximab has been shown to be useful in the short term, sometimes in the medium (EPIC, EPILOG) and long term (EPIC) in all acute or stable coronary coronary syndromes requiring angioplasty with or without stenting. Other changes are awaited shortly with the arrival of low molecular weight heparin which some have shown to be effective in unstable angina. The association of antithrombotics will become the rule but the number of molecules should decrease to consist only of the most effective drugs and exclude the redundant ones. The risk of haemorrhage increases with the increased efficacy of the antithrombotic agent. Global evaluation of the clinical benefits should be advocated with a register of ischaemic and serious haemorrhagic events amongst the criteria of evaluation of the trials.

Abciximab↗
PubMed1999

[New medical anticoagulants].

The limitations of conventional treatment using nonfractionated heparin have stimulated research in new anticoagulants which act at different levels of the coagulation pathways. New natural or synthetic compounds have been developed to improve current treatments. Included among these compounds are indirect thrombin inhibitors such as dermatan sulfate, heparanoids and low-molecular weight heparin. Low-molecular weight heparins are particularly interesting for venous thromboembolism and acute coronary syndromes. Several studies have demonstrated their efficacy in unstable angina and myocardial infarction without Q wave. In comparison with nonfractionated heparin, administration of enoxaparin offers a supplementary benefit. Indirect thrombin inhibitors such as hirudin and its derivatives are also being evaluated and have shown a certain efficacy in the prevention of postoperative deep vein thrombosis although no superior effect compared with nonfractionated heparin has been demonstrated in thrombotic coronary disease. Finally, indirect anti-Xa agents and physiological coagulation inhibitors are also being assessed.

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed1998

Effects of prostacyclin on the pulmonary vascular tone and cardiac contractility of patients with pulmonary hypertension secondary to end-stage heart failure.

Long-term administration of prostacyclin (PGI2) improves the hemodynamic state, symptoms, and survival in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension, but it increases mortality in patients with heart failure despite obvious hemodynamic benefits when it is given acutely. We evaluated the mechanisms of action of PGI2 in patients with heart failure and secondary pulmonary hypertension. Nineteen patients with end-stage heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, all candidates for heart transplantation, underwent right- and left sided cardiac catheterization with micromanometer-tipped catheters and were tested for PGI2 at incremental doses. PGI2 infusion significantly improved pulmonary hemodynamics with a 47% reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance (p=0.0003) and a doubling of pulmonary artery compliance (p <0.0001), reflecting improvement in pulmonary vascular tone. The dose of PGI2 necessary to reach this hemodynamic effect correlated significantly to the baseline severity of pulmonary artery compliance (r=0.54, p=0.01). Furthermore, PGI2 produced a significant positive inotropic effect (contractile element maximum velocity increased from 1.10+/-0.09 to 1.33+/-0.13 circ/s, p <0.009). The hemodynamic effects of PGI2 infusion were independent of the plasma and urinary levels of endogen prostaglandins. Thus, PGI2 at therapeutic doses exerts a positive inotropic effect in patients with heart failure, which may explain the increased mortality rate observed with the long-term use of PGI2 in this type of patient. The spectacular acute benefits on right ventricular afterload, however, may be useful in unstable patients with heart failure and secondary pulmonary hypertension or in transplanted patients with acute right ventricular failure of the donor heart.

Antihypertensive Agents↗
PubMed1998

Early increase of von Willebrand factor predicts adverse outcome in unstable coronary artery disease: beneficial effects of enoxaparin. French Investigators of the ESSENCE Trial.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of unstable angina and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction is still poorly understood, and early evaluation of prognosis remains difficult. We therefore studied the predictive value of 5 biological indicators of inflammation, thrombogenesis, vasoconstriction, and myocardial necrosis, and we examined the effects of enoxaparin and unfractionated heparin on these markers after 48 hours of treatment. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients with unstable angina or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction randomized in the international ESSENCE trial participated in this French substudy. C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor antigen, endothelin-1 and troponin I were measured on admission and 48 hours later. The composite end point of death, myocardial infarction, recurrent angina, or revascularization was significantly lower at 14 and 30 days of follow-up in patients allocated to enoxaparin compared with unfractionated heparin. All acute-phase reactant proteins were elevated on admission and increased further at 48 hours. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the rise of von Willebrand factor over 48 hours was a significant and independent predictor of the composite end point at both 14 days and 30 days. Moreover the early increase of von Willebrand factor was more frequent and more severe with unfractionated heparin than with enoxaparin (mean change was +8.7+/-8.8% with enoxaparin versus +93.9+/-11.7% with unfractionated heparin, P<0.0001). The other clinical and biological variables did not predict outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with unstable angina or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction, the acute-phase proteins increase over the first 2 days despite medical treatment. The early rise of von Willebrand factor is an independent predictor of adverse clinical outcome at 14 days and at 30 days. Enoxaparin provides protection as evidenced by the reduced release of von Willebrand factor, which represents a favorable prognostic finding.

Aged↗