Effect of prostaglandin E1 in collagen disease patients with inflammatory skin ulcer

Abstract

Clinical, physiological and biochemical studies of PGE1 were done, in a series of collagen diseas patients with skin ulcer, foot varix patient with skin ulcer as non-inflammatory skin ulcer control, and 2 diabetics without skin ulcer as no skin ulcer control. Intra-venous infusions of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) was given continuously in the dose of 1 ng/kg/min for 72 hours. Blood samples were collected from cubital vein, before, during, right after and at 7 days after PGE1 therapy. Platelet aggregations were studied by light transmittance (PRP: modified by Born's method, whole blood: modified by Tohjima's method) . Platelet iPG E (immunoreactive PG E like material) levels were assayed by radio-immunoassay. Essintial fatty acids compositions of plasma, pltelet and red cell were analyzed by gas chromatography.Results were as follows:(1) In all of cases, complete healing of skin ulcers was observed.(2) In most cases, skin temperature increased during PGE1 treatment.(3) Platelet aggregation was increased during PGE1 treatment than before one, and was higher in PRP than in whole blood, during PGE1 treatment.(4) The platelet basal iPGE levels were significantly decreased by PGE1 (p<0.025) .(5) The plasma and platelet linoleic acids levels were significantly higher than before PG E1 treatment (plasma: p<0.05, platelet: p<0.025) .(6) Thrombocytosis of one case of MRA was healed by the second PGE1 treatment.Conclusion:The inflammatory skin ulcers in collagen diseases had healed completly by continued intravenous infusion of PGE1. This effect might be brought by the supression of PG metabolism, especially in platelet.