Faculty Collaboration Database

Oral iloprost treatment in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon secondary to systemic sclerosis: a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Arthritis Rheum 1998 Apr;41(4):670-7

Date

04/29/1998

Pubmed ID

9550476

DOI

10.1002/1529-0131(199804)41:4<670::AID-ART14>3.0.CO;2-I

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0031947367 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   165 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of an oral preparation of iloprost, a prostacyclin analog, in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) secondary to systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).

METHODS: A multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled double-blind study was performed at university and community-based medical centers. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 50 microg of iloprost orally twice daily or an identical gelatin-coated capsule containing placebo for 6 weeks. Outcome measures included average total daily duration of RP attacks, average number of RP attacks, and RP condition scored via a standardized daily diary.

RESULTS: Three hundred eight patients with scleroderma (272 women, 36 men, mean age 49 years [range 18-80]) were enrolled. One hundred fifty seven were assigned to receive iloprost and 151 to receive placebo. One hundred forty-three patients in the iloprost group (91.1%) and 144 in the placebo group (95.4%) completed the 6-week treatment phase. Fifteen of these treated patients (8 iloprost, 7 placebo) failed to complete all of the followup visits. The mean reduction in the average duration of attacks from baseline to week 5-6 was 24.32 minutes in the iloprost group and 34.34 minutes in the placebo group (P = 0.569). Likewise, the mean reduction from baseline to week 5-6 in the daily frequency of attacks was 1.02 in the iloprost group and 0.83 in the placebo group (P = 0.459). The Raynaud's condition score, a patient-completed assessment of the severity of RP attacks, was reduced by 1.32 in the iloprost group and 1.00 in the placebo group (P = 0.323). The lack of significant difference between treatment groups did not change when a variety of factors, including use of other vasodilators, duration of disease, classification of scleroderma (limited versus diffuse), or number of baseline digital ulcers were taken into account. Premature withdrawal from the study due to adverse events occurred in 10 patients (6.4%) in the iloprost group and 3 (2.0%) in the placebo group (P = 0.058).

CONCLUSION: Oral iloprost at a dosage of 50 microg twice daily is no better than placebo for management of RP secondary to scleroderma, either during 6 weeks of treatment or during 6 weeks of posttreatment followup.

Author List

Wigley FM, Korn JH, Csuka ME, Medsger TA Jr, Rothfield NF, Ellman M, Martin R, Collier DH, Weinstein A, Furst DE, Jimenez SA, Mayes MD, Merkel PA, Gruber B, Kaufman L, Varga J, Bell P, Kern J, Marrott P, White B, Simms RW, Phillips AC, Seibold JR

Author

Mary Ellen Csuka MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Administration, Oral
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Double-Blind Method
Female
Headache
Humans
Iloprost
Male
Middle Aged
Nausea
Placebos
Raynaud Disease
Recurrence
Scleroderma, Systemic
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome
Vasodilation
Vasodilator Agents