Individually controlled acetylsalicyclic acid (ASA) in the long-term treatment of patients with arteriosclerosis
Misselwitz, F.; Norden, C.; Heine, H.
Biomedica Biochimica Acta 47(10-11): S303-S306
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0232-766X PMID: 3248117 Document Number: 307805
A simple method to measure the biological effect of ASA based on the determination of the desaggregation rate (DR) of platelet aggregation induced by ADP is described. DR correlates with the inhibition of the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) by platelets (r = 0.66, P less than 0.001). Therefore, the DR was used for laboratory monitoring of the ASA effect. Here we report on a study including 41 patients with peripheral arterial disease and/or coronary heart disease before treatment and after receiving ASA in an individually controlled dosage regimen. Before treatment we found an increased level of MDA, 150-200% compared with healthy volunteers (n = 16). Extremely different doses of ASA were required to normalize initially elevated MDA-levels in patients. This normalization of MDA was found to correspond to a DR of at least 50% (in comparison to 0-13% without treatment). When judging the ASA-dose individually from the 50%-DR we demonstrated that there were no differences of the levels of cyclooxygenase- and lipoxygenase-derived eicosanoids between healthy volunteers (n = 16) and arteriosclerotic patients receiving 100-250 mg ASA/d (n = 18), 500 mg ASA/d (n = 17), or 750-1500 mg ASA/d (n = 6).