Efficacy and safety of edoxaban for treatment of portal vein thrombosis following danaparoid sodium in patients with liver cirrhosis

• DOI: 10.1111/hepr.12895
• Publication Date: 2017-03-25T09:06:32Z
• Authors: Yuko Nagaoki; Hiroshi Aikata; Kana Daijyo; Yuji Teraoka; Fumi Shinohara; Yuki Nakamura; Masahiro Hatooka; Kei Morio; Takashi Nakahara; Tomokazu Kawaoka; Masataka Tsuge; Akira Hiramatsu; Michio Imamura; Yoshiiku Kawakami; Hidenori Ochi; Kazuaki Chayama
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 2. Zero hunger; 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; 3. Good health

AimTo compare the efficacy and safety of edoxaban and warfarin for treatment of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) following danaparoid sodium in patients with liver cirrhosis.MethodsFifty cirrhotic patients with PVT treated initially for 2 weeks with danaparoid sodium were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Treatment was later switched to either edoxaban (n = 20) or warfarin (n = 30). We compared the efficacy and safety of edoxaban and warfarin for up to 6 months. The PVT volume was measured by dynamic computed tomography before treatment, at 2 weeks, and at 1, 3, and 6 months.ResultsThere were no significant differences in the clinical characteristics of patients in the two groups. Treatment with edoxaban reduced the volume of PVT from 1.42 cm3 at 2 weeks to 0.42 cm3 at 6 months, and prevented exacerbation of PVT at 6 months after treatment with danaparoid sodium (P = 0.016). In contrast, treatment with warfarin resulted in increased PVT volume from 1.73 cm3 at 2 weeks to 2.85 cm3 at 6 months, despite the control of the international normalized ratio in 57% of the patients (P = 0.005). Multivariate regression analysis identified edoxaban therapy as the single significant and independent determinant of PVT reduction at 6 months (P = 0.0014, hazard ratio 6.400). Clinically significant gastrointestinal bleeding was encountered in 3 of 20 (15%) patients of the edoxaban group and 2 of 30 (7%) of the warfarin group (P = 0.335).ConclusionEdoxaban following danaparoid sodium is an effective anticoagulant and could be potentially considered as one of the treatment options for PVT in cirrhotic patients.