Ticagrelor and Anti-inflammatory Effects

Relationship of Dose of Ticagrelor and Anti-inflammatory Effect in Patients With End Stage Renal Disease on Hemodialysis: PIANO-6 Randomized Crossover Study

Antiplatelet treatment in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis (HD) is still challenging because of bleeding and thrombotic complications. The investigators hypothesized ticagrelor once daily dose would achieve tolerable antiplatelet effects compared with ticagrelor twice a day dose in ESRD patients on HD.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and confers an increasing risk of stent thrombosis even when dual antiplatelet therapy (clopidogrel and aspirin) is administered. Patients with severe CKD or end stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis (HD) exhibited higher platelet reactivity to clopidogrel than did those with normal renal function. The investigators recently reported platelet inhibition by ticagrelor was faster and markedly greater than by clopidogrel with onset dosing regimen in patients with ESRD on HD. However, few studies have been conducted whether platelet reactivity during ticagrelor treatment is associated with endothelial function, platelet activation markers and inflammation status in ESRD patients on HD. Additionally, the dose dependent effects of ticagrelor have been rarely evaluated.

Inclusion Criteria:

• ESRD patients undergoing regular (≥ 6 months) maintenance HD
• ongoing (≥ 2 months) treatment with clopidogrel
• P2Y12 reaction units (PRUs) were more than 235

Exclusion Criteria:

• known allergies to aspirin, clopidogrel, or ticagrelor
• concomitant use of other antithrombotic drugs (oral anticoagulants, dipyridamole)
• thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100,000/mm3)
• hematocrit <25%
• uncontrolled hyperglycemia (hemoglobin A1c >10%)
• liver disease (bilirubin level >2 mg/dl)
• symptomatic severe pulmonary disease
• active bleeding or bleeding diathesis
• gastrointestinal bleeding within the last 6 months
• hemodynamic instability
• acute coronary or cerebrovascular event within the last 3 months
• pregnancy
• any malignancy
• concomitant use of a cytochrome P450 inhibitor or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
• recent treatment (<30 days) with a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonist