Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors: Is there an association with coronary or renal events?

The article is concerned with the effects of specific cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors and their relationship to thrombotic cardiovascular events and to renal disease. Clinical and experimental aspects of COX-2-specific inhibitors are cited. A COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, interferes with myocardial prostacyclin production and also produces hypertension. Data have shown that in animal experiments, celecoxib also lowers myocardial prostaglandin concentration but fails to inhibit thromboxane concentration to the same degree. In the kidney, celecoxib can result in glomerular and interstitial nephritis or papillary necrosis. As in infarcted heart muscle, the COX-2-specific inhibitor celecoxib causes a significant decline in prostaglandin in the renal medulla. It was concluded from both clinical and experimental findings that COX-2 inhibitors can cause thrombotic cardiovascular events as well as renal disease. For these reasons, care should be exercised in administering specific COX-2 inhibitors to patients with pre-existing cardiac or renal disease. Copyright © 2003 by Current Science Inc.