Effectiveness of defibrotide for prophylaxis of deep venous thrombosis in gynecological surgery: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Diagnosis and Treatment of VOD/SOS After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) or sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is a rare complication characterized by hepatomegaly, right-upper quadrant pain, jaundice, and ascites, occurring after high-dose chemotherapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and, less commonly, other conditions. We review pathogenesis, clinical appearance and diagnostic criteria, risk factors, prophylaxis, and treatment of the VOD occurring post-HSCT. The injury of the sinusoidal endothelial cells with loss of wall integrity and sinusoidal obstruction is the basis of development of postsinusoidal portal hypertension responsible for clinical syndrome. Risk factors associated with the onset of VOD and diagnostic tools have been recently updated both in the pediatric and adult settings and here are reported. Treatment includes supportive care, intensive management, and specific drug therapy with defibrotide. Because of its severity, particularly in VOD with associated multiorgan disease, prophylaxis approaches are under investigation. During the last years, decreased mortality associated to VOD/SOS has been reported being it attributable to a better intensive and multidisciplinary approach.

The use of defibrotide in blood and marrow transplantation

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (VOD/SOS) is a potentially life-threatening complication of conditioning during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or chemotherapy without HSCT, with a historically reported mean incidence of 13.7% post-HSCT. Typical symptoms of VOD/SOS may include hyperbilirubinemia, painful hepatomegaly, weight gain, and ascites. Defibrotide, a polydisperse mixture of predominantly single-stranded polydeoxyribonucleotides, is currently the only therapy approved to treat hepatic VOD/SOS with pulmonary/renal dysfunction (ie, multiorgan dysfunction/multiorgan failure [MOD/MOF]) following HSCT in the United States and to treat severe hepatic VOD/SOS post-HSCT in the European Union. In preclinical and human studies, defibrotide has demonstrated profibrinolytic, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, and angio-protective actions, thus promoting an anticoagulant phenotype of the endothelium that protects and stabilizes the function of endothelial cells. In a phase 3, historically controlled, multicenter trial in adults and children with VOD/SOS and MOD/MOF (defibrotide: n = 102; controls treated before defibrotide availability: n = 32), defibrotide resulted in significantly greater day +100 survival following HSCT (38.2%) vs controls (25.0%; propensity analysis-estimated between-group difference: 23%; P = .0109). The most common adverse events (AEs) were hypotension and diarrhea; rates of common hemorrhagic AEs were similar in the defibrotide and historical control group (64% and 75%, respectively). In a phase 3 prophylaxis trial, defibrotide was found to lower incidence of VOD/SOS in children (not an approved indication) and reduce the incidence of graft-versus-host disease. This review describes the development and clinical applications of defibrotide, focusing on its on-label use in patients with VOD/SOS and MOD/MOF after HSCT.

Defibrotide. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic use in vascular disorders

Defibrotide is a deoxyribonucleic acid derivative extracted from mammalian organs, which has been developed for the treatment of a number of vascular disorders. It appears to increase fibrinolysis and may possess antithrombotic, antiatherosclerotic and anti-ischaemic actions, probably due to its ability to selectively increase prostaglandin I2 and E2 levels and to increase tissue plasminogen activator and decrease plasminogen activator inhibitor function. Defibrotide is available as an intravenous and intramuscular preparation, and also as an oral formulation for long term use. Trials performed to date have provided initial evidence that defibrotide is effective in the treatment of peripheral obliterative arterial disease and acute thrombophlebitis, while preliminary data suggest possible use in preventing fibrin deposition in the circuitry of renal haemodialysis equipment. Efficacy in preventing deep vein thrombosis after surgery has been demonstrated but defibrotide does not appear to offer any therapeutic advantage over heparin. Further clinical experience is required in other disorders, including acute myocardial infarction, Raynaud's phenomenon, renal thrombotic microangiopathy and renal transplant rejection, before adequate assessment of efficacy in these areas can be made. Defibrotide is well tolerated, as assessed in trials of up to 6 months duration, with a low global incidence of adverse events (< 1 to 9%). Mild allergic reactions and gastrointestinal disturbances have occasionally been described, and a hypotensive effect has also infrequently been observed. Thus, available data suggest that defibrotide is a well tolerated agent with little or no anticoagulant activity, which is conveniently available in both parenteral and oral formulations. Initial data indicate that the drug may be a useful alternative in the treatment of peripheral obliterative arterial disease and thrombophlebitis, while its therapeutic potential in other vascular disorders and efficacy relative to established agents remains to be fully determined.

Effect of oral defibrotide on tissue-plasminogen activator and tissue-plasminogen activator inhibitor balance

Defibrotide, a polydeoxyribonucleotide of mammalian origin, has been shown to reduce the blood level of the plasminogen activator inhibitor, and so to increase the activity of tissue plasminogen activator without any adverse effect. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study has been done in 22 patients, 14 with peripheral vascular disease, 6 with coronary heart disease and 2 with cerebrovascular disease. Patients were given defibrotide 400 mg b.d. or identical placebo for 30 days and the parameters of fibrinolysis were evaluated before and after the treatment. A significant increase in tissue plasminogen activator activity at rest and after venostasis was observed after defibrotide; tissue plasminogen activator antigen at rest and after venostasis was not affected by either treatment. Defibrotide significantly reduced plasminogen activator inhibitor activity and antigen at rest. Only one patient complained of gastric pain after placebo treatment. The study shows that defibrotide has profibrinolytic property and that it could be used to explore the role of plasminogen activator inhibitor in venous and arterial thrombosis.

New in vivo model to assess venous endothelial cell functions. Effect of defibrotide

In the past few years there has been increasing interest in the role of the vascular endothelium as an active modulator of biological responses. Endothelial cells exert antithrombotic activity by the release of prostacyclin [23] and adenine nucleotides [16], the availability on the cell surface of heparin-like substances [3], and thrombomodulin-mediated activation of protein C [8]. In addition, endothelium is involved in the regulation of fibrinolysis by releasing soluble factors, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA; [10]) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI; [22, 11]), as well as in the control of vascular responsiveness by the production of smooth muscle relaxing and contracting factors. Endothelial cells have also been shown to synthesize and to express procoagulant activities [18]. Many data on endothelial cell functions has been obtained from two experimental models, namely endothelial cell cultures and perfused segments of animal and human vessels. Both are subject to methodological criticism since they only represent in part in vivo conditions, and the necessary experimental manipulations and laboratory procedures greatly modify the naturally occurring cellular functions. In order to overcome such difficulties as far as possible, a new in vivo model has been employed to provide easily assessable and reliable data on the properties of endothelial cells in man. A venous segment was isolated functionally by cannulating a dorsal vein in the hand and a cubital vein in the same arm. Changes observed ex vivo in blood from the cubital vein following infusion into the hand vein of an active drug, can mainly be attributed to its local effect on the venous wall. At the same time, a cubital vein in the other arm was cannulated in order to provide information to distinguish systemic from regional effects.