The Effects of Pentoxifylline on Contrast-induced Nephropathy Reduction in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Introduction: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is one of the most common adverse consequences of contrast media use. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Pentoxifylline (PTX) to prevent CIN in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: This prospective, single-blind, quasi-experimental study was performed on 68 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction who were admitted for percutaneous coronary intervention at Imam Ali Hospital, affiliated with Kermanshah university of medical science (KUMS), Kermanshah province, Iran. Patients were assigned randomly to the control (n = 34) and pentoxifylline (n = 34) groups. Normal saline 0.9% at 0.5-1 mL/kg/h was prescribed from 12 hours before to 12 hours after angioplasty. Pentoxifylline was prescribed at a dose of 400 mg 3 times per day from 24 hours before to 48 hours after angioplasty. Serum creatinine level was measured for both groups at the time of referral and after 72 hours of angioplasty. Independent samples t-tests, chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test were used to assess the differences between groups.

Result: No significant difference was found between the two groups regarding demographic and baseline clinical characteristics. Mean serum creatinine level (time of referral) was 1.52±0.11 mg/dL and 1.55±0.14 mg/dL in PTX and control groups, respectively (p = 0.999). Seventy-two hours after angiography, the mean serum creatinine level was 1.54±0.13 mg/dL and 1.56±0.17 mg/dL in PTX and control groups, respectively (p = 0.999). We found that CIN occurred in 7 patients (10.3%); 4 controls (11.8%) and 3 patients (8.8%) in the PTX group, which was not significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.690).

Conclusion: The findings of the current study showed that oral administration of PTX to patients at higher risk for developing CIN undergoing coronary angioplasty may decrease the occurrence of CIN, but this decrease is not statistically significant.

Cite this article as: Rouzbahani M, Heidari Moghadam R, Salehi N, Shakiba M, Rashidi T, Montazeri N. The effects of pentoxifylline on contrast-induced nephropathy reduction in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Turk J Nephrol. 2022;31(4):301-306.