K. Mcgrath et al., NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES AFTER STREPTOKINASE TREATMENT FOR MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION - A PERSISTING PUZZLE, British Heart Journal, 74(2), 1995, pp. 122-123
Objective-To determine the development of titres of streptokinase (SK)
neutralising antibodies after a single dose of SK, to establish when
titres decrease to levels at which a second dose might be effective. D
esign-Analyses of blood samples taken from patients at intervals after
SK administration. Setting-Australian public hospital. Patients-104 p
atients with acute myocardial infarction who were treated with SK and
27 controls who were not. Outcome measure-SK neutralising antibodies w
ere measured once in each of the 27 controls and on 166 occasions in t
he 104 treated patients. Results-Titres of SK neutralising antibodies
rose after SK administration but returned to control levels by 2 years
. Conclusions-SK might be effective again as a thrombolytic agent as e
arly as 2 years after a single dose. These results are at variance wit
h most previously published data and the reasons for this are not clea
r. Data evaluating patency rates after standard doses of streptokinase
in patients with increased titres of neutralising antibodies are nece
ssary before SK neutralisation re-exposure to streptokinase can be usi
ng the method recommended.