Initial experience using continuous intravenous treprostinil to manage pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with end‐stage liver disease

• Published in: Transplant international Vol. 22; no. 5; pp. 554 - 561
• Main Authors: Sakai, Tetsuro, Planinsic, Raymond M., Mathier, Michael A., de Vera, Michael E., Venkataramanan, Raman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2009
• Subjects: Antihypertensive Agents - administration & dosage; end‐stage liver disease; Epoprostenol - administration & dosage; Epoprostenol - analogs & derivatives; Female; Hemodynamics - drug effects; Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary - drug therapy; Infusions, Intravenous; Liver Failure - drug therapy; liver transplantation; Male; Middle Aged; prostacyclin analog; pulmonary hypertension; treprostinil
• ISSN: 0934-0874; 1432-2277
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1432-2277.2008.00830.x

Summary Treprostinil is a prostacyclin analog and has been used on idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). There is only limited clinical experience using treprostinil to manage PAH in patients with end‐stage liver disease (ESLD). We report three ESLD patients with PAH, who were treated with continuous intravenous treprostinil. A 59‐year‐old woman with ESLD secondary to alcoholic hepatitis had portopulmonary hypertension with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) of 44 mmHg and transpulmonary gradient (TPG) of 23 mmHg. Treprostinil at 45 ng/kg/min for 6 months decreased mPAP to 23 (TPG to 8). A 53‐year‐old man had ESLD secondary to alcoholic hepatitis with PAH caused by multiple pulmonary embolisms (mPAP of 32 and TPG of 23). Treprostinil at 36 ng/kg/min for 3 months decreased mPAP to 23 and TPG to 14. Both patients underwent uneventful liver transplantation. A 48‐year‐old man had ESLD secondary to hepatitis C and portopulmonary hypertension with mPAP of 60 and TPG of 44. Two years after intravenous treprostinil at 106 ng/kg/min, his mPAP decreased to 44 and TPG to 30. These results demonstrate that for a selected group of ESLD patients with PAH, a continuous intravenous infusion of treprostinil appears to be safe and effective.