ILOPROST EFFECTS ON PHAGOCYTES IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM ISCHEMIC DISEASES - IN-VIVO EVIDENCE FOR DOWN-REGULATION OF ALPHA-M-BETA(2) INTEGRIN

This study has been designed to demonstrate the in vivo effects of ilo prost therapy on expression of adhesion molecules on phagocytes. Sixty patients suffering from peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) and/or from skin ulcers due to secondary progressive systemic sclerosi s (PSS) were enrolled in a double-blind controlled parallel study. Thi rty patients (group I) underwent iloprost infusion and 30 patients (gr oup II) were treated with aspirin. Clinical assessment and measurement of phagocyte activation ii? who, using quantitative flow cytometry, w ere performed on entry and after 6 h on the first day of therapy. Afte r 3 months of therapy, complete healing of all cutaneous lesions was o bserved in 84% of the patients treated with iloprost compared with the control patients (P < 0.001). Neutrophils and mono cytes of PAOD and PSS patients showed a significant decrease in the expression of the al pha M beta(2) integrin adhesion receptor after 6 h of iloprost infusio n. Neutrophils and monocytes released a lower amount of anion superoxi de (O-2-) after 6 h of iloprost treatment. These data confirm other cl inical observations but demonstrate that in vivo this drug modifies th e expression of the alpha M beta(2) integrin of phagocytes that has a key role in leukocyte-endothelium interactions in cases of inflammatio n and thrombosis.