Search

Background: Endothelial function is best measured with the noninvasive brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) method. Peripheral arterial diseases and systemic cardiovascular diseases have FMD-lowering effect. The effects of lower extremity ischemia are associated with muscle inflammation and claudication, which may further lead to arterial stress. Our aim in this study was to investigate the effects of peripheral arterial revascularization on the endothelial functions through noninvasive brachial artery FMD., Methods: Between January 2007 and February 2008, 54 patients diagnosed with lower extremity arterial disease undergoing revascularization were included in the study. Endothelial function is measured preoperatively and at the fourth week postoperatively using the brachial artery FMD method. Blood samples were collected at the same intervals for the measurement of interleukin-6, leukocyte count, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and nitric oxide values., Results: Femoropopliteal bypass grafting was performed in all patients with a synthetic graft. The mean ankle-brachial index in the preoperative period was 0.29 ± 0.083, and after the operation, dorsalis pedis and/or posterior tibial artery became palpable in all patients. The nitric oxide, interleukin-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels decreased significantly after 4 weeks postoperatively as compared with the preoperative levels (p < 0.05). Postoperative Doppler ultrasonography FMD of brachial artery increased from preoperative value of 9.2 ± 2.1 to 16.2 ± 4.5 (p < 0.01) at postoperative week 4., Conclusions: Systemic inflammation and muscle ischemia lead to reduced endothelial functions. After successful lower extremity revascularization, endothelial functions improve dramatically, which may be easily detected with the noninvasive brachial artery FMD method., (Copyright © 2011 Annals of Vascular Surgery Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of once-daily enoxaparin plus warfarin for the outpatient ambulatory treatment of lower-limb deep venous thrombosis (DVT)., Methods: A total of 246 patients, comprising 128 men (mean age, 54.28±16.48 years) and 118 women (mean age, 50.11±16.47 years) with symptomatic lower extremity DVT, were included in this open-label, single-arm, multicenter, phase IV clinical trial conducted at 14 centers in Turkey. All patients were administered subcutaneous enoxaparin (1.5 mg/kg, once-daily) until international normalized ratio (INR) levels reached to 2 to 3, followed by oral warfarin (5 mg/d) for at least 3 months and elastic compression stockings (30-40 mm Hg). Clinical signs (leg circumference), symptoms (edema, pain, tenderness), recanalization rates upon duplex ultrasound examination, laboratory findings (D-dimer and INR levels), and postthrombotic syndrome status with CEAP classification were the efficacy parameters evaluated every 3 months during 18 months of follow-up. Safety end points included minor and major bleeding as well as serious adverse events., Results: Ambulatory treatment with enoxaparin plus warfarin significantly reduced physical symptoms, including tenderness, edema, pain (P<.001), and the circumference of the affected leg (P<.001). The leg circumference difference in almost all patients was <1.5 cm at the end of 18 months (P<.001). Recanalization rates for occluded iliofemoral vein were 76.1% at 3 months and 86.5% at 18 months (P<.001). An early and significant decrease obtained in D-dimer levels on day 10 continued to decline significantly until month 6 and remained unchanged afterwards (P<.001). Of four patients diagnosed with major bleeding during oral anticoagulant use, three recovered with conservative treatment (reduction in hemoglobin levels in 2 developed at visit 2 [day 10] and intracranial bleeding in 1 developed at visit 3 [day 30]), and one patient required a hysterectomy after menorrhagia developed at visit 7 (month 18). Two of the 65 (9.9%) adverse events documented were serious adverse events, but none of the serious adverse events leading to death were related to the study medications., Conclusion: Ambulatory treatment with enoxaparin plus warfarin seems to be effective in symptomatic healing and in clinical improvement by reducing thrombus formation and organization at all levels of lower extremity venous system with DVT, without a significant major bleeding risk. Therefore, the results of our conventional conservative treatment are in line with 1A level evidence reported in the recent American College of Chest Physicians guideline., (Copyright © 2010 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)