Oral prostaglandin E1 as a therapeutic modality for leg ulcers in Behçet's disease.

Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) has been generally given only by intravascular injection. Recently, an oral PGE1 named OP1206 has been developed. OP1206 is a potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation as well as a strong vasodilator, and its half-life in humans is extremely prolonged because it is not metabolized in the lungs. Leg ulceration is one of the cutaneous manifestations in Behçet's disease and sometimes is very difficult to treat. In this investigation five patients having Behçet's disease with leg ulcers were treated with OP1206. All of the patients had the leg ulcers for more than 2 months. Fifteen micrograms of OP1206 was given initially, and the dosage was increased to 30 micrograms whenever there were no adverse effects. All the patients were soon able to tolerate the drug and increased dosage. Within 2 weeks, regeneration of granulomatous tissues was observed in all cases. Furthermore, the leg ulcers healed within one year. Only one patient developed diarrhoea, but this symptom disappeared when he adjusted to the dosage. The findings strongly indicate that OP1206 is a safe and promising drug for the treatment of leg ulcers in Behçet's disease.