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(Circulation. 2002;106:e132.)
© 2002 American Heart Association, Inc.

Correspondence

Safety of C1-Inhibitor for Clinical Use

C. Erik Hack, MD, PhD

Sanquin Research at CLB, Department of Immunopathology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, E-mail Hack@clb.nl

Chris de Zwaan, MD, PhD

Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands

Wim T. Hermens, PhD

Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands

To the Editor:

Horstick and colleagues¹ recently reported detrimental side effects of C1-inhibitor (C1inh) in pigs with myocardial ischemia. Local complement activation contributes to ischemic myocardium injury, and complement inhibition constitutes a novel therapeutic approach for coronary syndromes. C1inh reduces reperfusion injury in various animal models of myocardial infarction (MI). In dogs, we found that C1inh also reduced myocardial injury after permanent coronary occlusion² and did not reduce tensile strength of the scar area. C1inh prepared from human plasma has been given safely for 30 years to patients with angio-edema. We initiated a pilot study of C1inh in 22 patients with MI. The highest dose given was 100 U/kg, followed by 2 U · kg^-1 · h^-1 for 48 hours. C1inh was well-tolerated, and infarct size was reduced by 40% to 50%.³

Our results differ from those of Horstick et al,¹ who found no cardioprotection of C1inh at 100 U/kg in a pig model, but claimed detrimental side effects consisting of "severe coagulation disorders." Their data do not support this, however; apart from clotted catheters, often observed in non-heparinized animals, no signs of thrombosis were documented. Actually, animals receiving 100 U/kg had results similar to those of controls. Thus, lack of efficacy, not "detrimental side effects," was observed. These findings were related to a report of thrombosis in neonates receiving high dose C1inh for cardiac surgery. A follow-up randomized study not quoted by Horstick et al, however, demonstrated clinical benefit of 100 U/kg in neonates undergoing arterial switch operations.⁴

C1Inh has opposite effects on coagulation and fibrinolysis; it inhibits contact system proteases and plasmin on the one hand, and factor XIa and thrombin on the other. Horstick et al¹ showed reduction of thrombin-antithrombin complexes by lower doses of C1Inh. This indicates that C1Inh at low doses reduces thrombin formation, which may explain why at these doses catheters were not occluded. We found no effect of up to 5 U/mL of C1inh on clot formation and lysis in plasma (Hack et al, unpublished data, 1999). Several studies show safety of C1inh in sepsis and capillary leak syndrome. Hence, a pro-thrombotic effect of C1Inh is likely minimal. The study by Horstick et al¹ does not provide data regarding this risk in MI.

References

1. Horstick G, Berg O, Heimann A, et al. Application of C1-esterase inhibitor during reperfusion of ischemic myocardium: dose-related beneficial versus detrimental effects. Circulation. 2001; 104: 3125–3131.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
   
2. Kleine A, Mullers ML, Kop B, et al. Cardioprotective effects of C1-inhibitor after coronary occlusion in dogs: comparison of effects in reperfused and non-reperfused hearts. Eur Heart J. 2000; 21: 78.Abstract.
   
3. De Zwaan C, Kleine AH, Diris JHC, et al. Continuous 48-hours C1-inhibitor treatment, following reperfusion therapy, in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Eur Heart J. In press.
   
4. Tassani P, Kunkel R, Richter JA, et al. Effect of C1-esterase inhibitor on capillary leak and inflammatory response syndrome during arterial switch operations in neonates. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2001; 15: 469–473.[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
   

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Response

Georg Horstick, MD; Oliver Berg, MD; Benjamin Bierbach; Steffen Petersen, MD; Harald Darius, MD; Marina Horstick, MD; Jürgen Meyer, MD

Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 2nd Medical Clinic, Mainz, Germany, E-mail horstick@mail.uni-mainz.de

Axel Heimann, MVD; Oliver Kempski, MD

2nd Medical Clinic, Institute for Neurosurgical Pathophysiology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

Otto Götze, MD

Department of Immunology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

Michael Loos, MD; Sucharit Bhakdi, MD

Institute for Microbiology and Hygiene, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

Gerd Hafner, MD

Institute for Clinical Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

Our study was conducted without heparinization because heparin potentiates the complement-inhibitory effect of C1-inhibitor (C1inh).¹ The concerns of Hack et al are correct; in heparinized patients, the detrimental effects of high dose C1inh are avoidable. We have unpublished data that support this statement. Our data, however, make it clear that in the absence of adequate heparinization, high dose C1inh can have serious side effects. Inadequate heparinization might be 1 reason for the reported adverse events² in contrast to further studies with C1inh treatment.^3,4

References

1. Wuillemin WA, te Velthuis H, Lubbers YT, et al. Potentiation of C1 inhibitor by glycosaminoglycans: dextran sulfate species are effective inhibitors of in vitro complement activation in plasma. J Immunol. 1997; 159: 1953–1960.[Abstract]
   
2. Arzneimittelkommission der Deutschen Aerzteschaft. Schwerwiegende Thrombenbildung nach Berinert HS. Dtsch Aerztebl. 2000; 97: B-864.
   
3. Tassani P, Kunkel R, Richter JA, et al. Effect of C1-esterase-inhibitor on capillary leak and inflammatory response syndrome during arterial switch operations in neonates. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2001; 15: 469–473.[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
   
4. De Zwaan C, Kleine A, Diris J, et al. Complement inhibition and myocardial protection in patients with acute myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001; 37: 312A.
   

This Article Extract Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hack, C. E. Articles by Hafner, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hack, C. E. Articles by Hafner, G. Related Collections Animal models of human disease Arterial thrombosis Other Treatment Acute myocardial infarction