STATE-OF-THE-ART PAPER
Resistance to clopidogrel: A review of the evidence
Thuy Anh Nguyen, MSc, Pharm*,
Jean G. Diodati, MD , ,|| and
Chantal Pharand, PharmD*, , ,*
* Pharmacy Department, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
Service of Cardiology, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
Research Centre, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
|| Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
Manuscript received December 8, 2004;
revised manuscript received January 19, 2005,
accepted January 25, 2005.
* Reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. Chantal Pharand, Research Centre, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, 5400, Gouin Boulevard West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4J 1C5. (Email: chantal.pharand{at}umontreal.ca).
Current available data show that about 4% to 30% of patients treated with conventional doses of clopidogrel do not display adequate antiplatelet response. Clopidogrel resistance is a widely used term that remains to be clearly defined. So far, it has been used to reflect failure of clopidogrel to achieve its antiaggregatory effect. The interpatient variability in clopidogrel response is multifactorial. It can be due to extrinsic or intrinsic mechanisms. Among extrinsic mechanisms are the possibility of clopidogrel underdosing in patients undergoing stenting or with acute coronary syndrome, and drug-drug interactions involving CYP3A4. Intrinsic mechanisms include genetic polymorphisms of the P2Y12 receptor and of the CYP3As, accrued release of adenosine diphosphate, or up-regulation of other platelet activation pathways. Presently, there is no definite demonstration of an association between low responsiveness to clopidogrel and thrombotic events. The optimal level of clopidogrel-induced platelet inhibition, which will correlate quantitatively with clopidogrels ability to prevent atherothrombotic events is still lacking. Furthermore, because there is no single and validated platelet function assay to measure clopidogrels antiplatelet effect, it is not justified to routinely look for clopidogrel resistance in the clinical setting. This review discusses currently available evidence surrounding the variability in the antiplatelet response to clopidogrel.
|
Abbreviations and Acronyms
| | ACS = acute coronary syndromes | | ADP = adenosine diphosphate | | cAMP = cyclic adenosine monophosphate | | CYP450 = cytochrome P450 | | GPIIb/IIIa = glycoprotein IIb/IIIa | | PCI = percutaneous coronary intervention | | PGE1 = prostaglandin E1 | | SAT = subacute stent thrombosis | | VASP = vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein |
|
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. R. Holmes Jr, D. J. Kereiakes, N. S. Kleiman, D. J. Moliterno, G. Patti, and C. L. Grines
Combining Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Therapies.
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
July 7, 2009;
54(2):
95 - 109.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. Gao, C. Ren, D. Li, and L. Li
Clopidogrel and aspirin versus clopidogrel alone on graft patency after coronary artery bypass grafting.
Ann. Thorac. Surg.,
July 1, 2009;
88(1):
59 - 62.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. Smout and G. Stansby
Surgery and antiplatelet agents: what are the risks?
Clin Risk,
May 1, 2009;
15(3):
101 - 105.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. F. Ford
Clopidogrel Resistance: Pharmacokinetic or Pharmacogenetic?
J. Clin. Pharmacol.,
May 1, 2009;
49(5):
506 - 512.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. M. Scott, R. M Norwood, and D. Parra
P2Y12 Inhibitors in Cardiovascular Disease: Focus on Prasugrel
Ann. Pharmacother.,
January 1, 2009;
43(1):
64 - 76.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. W. Hamm, H. Möllmann, J.-P. Bassand, and F. van de Werf
CHAPTER 16 Acute Coronary Syndromes
ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine,
January 1, 2009;
2(1):
med-9780199566990-chapter - med-9780199566990-chapter.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
L. Ang and E. Mahmud
Monitoring oral antiplatelet therapy: is it justified?
Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease,
December 1, 2008;
2(6):
485 - 496.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Lordkipanidze, C. Pharand, T. A. Nguyen, E. Schampaert, D. A. Palisaitis, and J. G. Diodati
Comparison of four tests to assess inhibition of platelet function by clopidogrel in stable coronary artery disease patients
Eur. Heart J.,
December 1, 2008;
29(23):
2877 - 2885.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
L. Ang, V. Palakodeti, A. Khalid, S. Tsimikas, Z. Idrees, P. Tran, P. Clopton, N. Zafar, G. Bromberg-Marin, S. Keramati, et al.
Elevated Plasma Fibrinogen and Diabetes Mellitus Are Associated With Lower Inhibition of Platelet Reactivity With Clopidogrel
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
September 23, 2008;
52(13):
1052 - 1059.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
L. T. Newsome, M. A. Kutcher, and R. L. Royster
Coronary Artery Stents: Part I. Evolution of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Anesth. Analg.,
August 1, 2008;
107(2):
552 - 569.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Muller-Schunk, J. Linn, N. Peters, M. Spannagl, M. Deisenberg, H. Bruckmann, and T.E. Mayer
Monitoring of Clopidogrel-Related Platelet Inhibition: Correlation of Nonresponse with Clinical Outcome in Supra-Aortic Stenting
AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol.,
April 1, 2008;
29(4):
786 - 791.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. Gachet and B. Aleil
Testing antiplatelet therapy
Eur. Heart J. Suppl.,
January 1, 2008;
10(suppl_A):
A28 - A34.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. J. Jaumdally, C. Varma, A. D. Blann, R. J. MacFadyen, and G. Y. H. Lip
Platelet Activation in Coronary Artery Disease: Intracardiac vs Peripheral Venous Levels and the Effects of Angioplasty
Chest,
November 1, 2007;
132(5):
1532 - 1539.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. Jaffe and B. H. Strauss
Late and Very Late Thrombosis of Drug-Eluting Stents: Evolving Concepts and Perspectives
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
July 10, 2007;
50(2):
119 - 127.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
W. A. Schumacher, J. S. Bostwick, M. L. Ogletree, A. B. Stewart, T. E. Steinbacher, J. Hua, L. A. Price, P. C. Wong, and R. P. Rehfuss
Biomarker Optimization to Track the Antithrombotic and Hemostatic Effects of Clopidogrel in Rats
J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.,
July 1, 2007;
322(1):
369 - 377.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Authors/Task Force Members, J.-P. Bassand, C. W. Hamm, D. Ardissino, E. Boersma, A. Budaj, F. Fernandez-Aviles, K. A.A. Fox, D. Hasdai, E. M. Ohman, et al.
Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes: The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes of the European Society of Cardiology
Eur. Heart J.,
July 1, 2007;
28(13):
1598 - 1660.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Ouattara, H. Bouzguenda, Y. Le Manach, P. Leger, A. Mercadier, P. Leprince, N. Bonnet, G. Montalescot, B. Riou, and P. Coriat
Impact of aspirin with or without clopidogrel on postoperative bleeding and blood transfusion in coronary surgical patients treated prophylactically with a low-dose of aprotinin
Eur. Heart J.,
April 12, 2007;
(2007)
ehm049v1.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J.-S. Hulot, A. Bura, E. Villard, M. Azizi, V. Remones, C. Goyenvalle, M. Aiach, P. Lechat, and P. Gaussem
Cytochrome P450 2C19 loss-of-function polymorphism is a major determinant of clopidogrel responsiveness in healthy subjects
Blood,
October 1, 2006;
108(7):
2244 - 2247.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
G. Montalescot, G. Sideris, C. Meuleman, C. Bal-dit-Sollier, N. Lellouche, Ph. G. Steg, M. Slama, O. Milleron, J.-P. Collet, P. Henry, et al.
A Randomized Comparison of High Clopidogrel Loading Doses in Patients With Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes: The ALBION (Assessment of the Best Loading Dose of Clopidogrel to Blunt Platelet Activation, Inflammation and Ongoing Necrosis) Trial
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
September 5, 2006;
48(5):
931 - 938.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. A. Chaer, J. A. Graham, and L. Mureebe
Platelet Function and Pharmacologic Inhibition
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery,
August 1, 2006;
40(4):
261 - 267.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. J. Angiolillo, A. Fernandez-Ortiz, E. Bernardo, C. Ramirez, U. Cavallari, E. Trabetti, M. Sabate, R. Hernandez, R. Moreno, J. Escaned, et al.
Contribution of Gene Sequence Variations of the Hepatic Cytochrome P450 3A4 Enzyme to Variability in Individual Responsiveness to Clopidogrel
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol,
August 1, 2006;
26(8):
1895 - 1900.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
G. W. Stone and H. D. Aronow
Long-term Care After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Focus on the Role of Antiplatelet Therapy
Mayo Clin. Proc.,
May 1, 2006;
81(5):
641 - 652.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
E. D. Michos, R. Ardehali, R. S. Blumenthal, R. A. Lange, and H. Ardehali
Aspirin and Clopidogrel Resistance
Mayo Clin. Proc.,
April 1, 2006;
81(4):
518 - 526.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. T. Ivandic, P. Schlick, P. Staritz, K. Kurz, H. A. Katus, and E. Giannitsis
Determination of Clopidogrel Resistance by Whole Blood Platelet Aggregometry and Inhibitors of the P2Y12 Receptor
Clin. Chem.,
March 1, 2006;
52(3):
383 - 388.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A Blann
Antiplatelet therapy and the vascular tree
Heart,
January 1, 2006;
92(1):
3 - 4.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
R. P. Giugliano and E. Braunwald
The Year in Non--ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,
September 6, 2005;
46(5):
906 - 919.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
|