[Peridural anaesthesia with ropivacaine for a patient with Friedrich's ataxia. Caesarean section after dorsal stabilisation of the spinal column (Th5-L1)]. / Periduralanästhesie mit Ropivacain bei Friedreich-Ataxie. Sectio bei einer Patientin nach dorsaler Stabilisierung der Wirbelsäule (Th5-L1).

Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is a hereditary disease, which leads to degenerative changes in the spinal cord and cerebellum (incidence 1:50,000). These changes are caused by a defect in the gene that encodes a mitochondrial gene called frataxin and causes muscle weakness, scoliosis, cardiomyopathy and impaired glucose tolerance. Therefore, these patients require special care during anaesthesia. We report the case of a 25-year-old primigravida with a history of FA and dorsal stabilisation of the vertebral column, who was admitted to our hospital for elective caesarean section. Due to increased sensitivity to muscle relaxants, peridural anaesthesia with 8 ml 0.75% ropivacaine and 10 microg sufentanil was used in this case. The perioperative neurological consultation revealed no undue exacerbation of symptoms.

c7E3Fab reduces postischemic leukocyte-thrombocyte interaction mediated by fibrinogen. Implications for myocardial reperfusion injury.

Reperfusion injury after coronary occlusion is in part mediated by leukocyte activation and adhesion. Platelets may interact with polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMNs), causing aggravated reperfusion injury. We studied whether c7E3Fab, a chimeric Fab fragment blocking platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa, decreases PMN-platelet-dependent myocardial dysfunction after ischemia. Isolated guinea pig hearts (n=5 per group) perfused at a constant flow of 5 mL/min were subjected to ischemia (15 minutes, 37 degrees C) and reperfusion. Human PMNs (10x10(6) cells, 3 mL), platelets (400x10(6), 3 mL), and fibrinogen (1 mg/mL) were infused for 3 minutes after 2 minutes of reperfusion, with or without c7E3Fab. Flow cytometry detected GPIIb/IIIa (platelets) and MAC-1 (aMbeta2, PMNs) as well as coaggregates of both in the effluent, whereas double-fluorescence microscopy visualized intracoronary PMN-platelet coaggregates. Postischemic recovery of pressure-volume work (12-cm H(2)O preload and 60-mm Hg afterload) was defined as the ratio of postischemic to preischemic external heart work (mean+/-SEM). c7E3Fab reduced platelet GPIIb/IIIa detection to 10% of controls, blocked a transcoronary MAC-1 increase (+25% without versus -23% with c7E3Fab), and inhibited PMN-platelet coaggregation in the effluent (49+/-12% without versus 17+/-2% with c7E3Fab) as well as in the hearts themselves (5.0+/-0.7/cm(2) without versus 1.2+/-0.3/cm(2) surface area with c7E3Fab). Postischemic recovery of external heart work (83+/-5% in cell-free hearts) declined to 46+/-4% after postischemic PMN-platelet infusion, but not in the presence of c7E3Fab (74+/-11%) or LPM19c (71+/-6%). We conclude that c7E3Fab inhibits formation of PMN-platelet aggregates during myocardial reperfusion, an effect that protects against PMN-platelet-dependent stunning.

Effects of endothelium/leukocytes/platelet interaction on myocardial ischemia--reperfusion injury.

Platelet fibrinogen receptor (GPIIb/IIIa) antagonists clinically improve the effectiveness of thrombolysis or PTCA in treatment of acute myocardial infarction. 7E3Fab, the chimeric Fab fragment of a monoclonal GPIIb/IIIa antibody, reduces the incidence of death, reinfarction or restenosis in patients and may improve blood flow and regional wall motion in reperfused myocardium. Besides inhibition of platelet aggregation, 7E3Fab may block fibrinogen bridging between the polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) adhesion molecule MAC-1 and platelet GP IIb/IIIa, thus attenuating interaction of platelets with PMN. Experimentally, the interaction of platelets with PMN exacerbated postischemic myocardial stunning. In our own studies in isolated guinea pig hearts, human PMN, platelets and fibrinogen where simultaneously infused during the initial reperfusion period after 15 min of global ischemia. FACS analysis of cells in the coronary effluant revealed that 7E3Fab reduced platelet GP IIb/IIIa expression to 10% of baseline. PMN-platelet aggregate formation in the coronary effluate was markedly reduced by 7E3Fab, parallel to a decrease of PMN-platelet aggregates found by in situ double fluorescence microscopy in the postischemic coronary vasculature. The inhibition of PMN-platelet aggregate formation by 7E3Fab treatment coincided with a significant improvement of external heart work, which suffered a 50% reduction after ischemia, reperfusion, and exposure to PMN, platelets and fibrinogen. Obviously, application of 7E3Fab inhibits formation and coronary retention of PMN-platelet aggregates in the postischemic, reperfused myocardium. This effect may contribute to the clinically observed beneficial effects of this adjuvant treatment after myocardial ischemia.