Acute kidney injury in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing invasive management treated with bivalirudin vs. unfractionated heparin: insights from the MATRIX trial
Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial published in Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care (2021)
Abstract
AIMS: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a critical complication among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing invasive management. The value of adjunctive antithrombotic strategies, such as bivalirudin or unfractionated heparin (UFH) on the risk of AKI is unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: Among 7213 patients enrolled in the MATRIX-Antithrombin and Treatment Duration study, 128 subjects were excluded due to incomplete information on serum creatinine (sCr) or end-stage renal disease on dialysis treatment. The primary endpoint was AKI defined as an absolute (>0.5 mg/dL) or a relative (>25%) increase in sCr. AKI occurred in 601 patients (16.9%) treated with bivalirudin and 616 patients (17.4%) treated with UFH [odds ratio (OR): 0.97; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85-1.09; P = 0.58]. A >25% sCr increase was observed in 597 patients (16.8%) with bivalirudin and 616 patients (17.4%) with UFH (OR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.85-1.08; P = 0.50), whereas a >0.5 mg/dL absolute sCr increase occurred in 176 patients (5.0%) with bivalirudin vs. 189 patients (5.4%) with UFH (OR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.75-1.14; P = 0.46). By implementing the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria, the risk of AKI was not significantly different between bivalirudin and UFH groups (OR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.72-1.07; P = 0.21). Subgroup analyses of the primary endpoint suggested a benefit with bivalirudin in patients randomized to femoral access. CONCLUSION: Among ACS patients undergoing invasive management, the risk of AKI was not significantly lower with bivalirudin compared with UFH. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov NCT01433627.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
Among 7213 acute coronary syndrome patients in the MATRIX trial, acute kidney injury risk did not differ significantly between bivalirudin (16.9%) and unfractionated heparin (17.4%), though subgroup analysis suggested a possible benefit of bivalirudin among patients with femoral access.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This analysis from the MATRIX trial examined acute kidney injury (AKI) risk among acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing invasive management, comparing bivalirudin to unfractionated heparin in 7,213 enrolled patients. AKI occurred in 16.9% of bivalirudin-treated and 17.4% of heparin-treated patients (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.85–1.09; P = 0.58), with no significant differences across multiple AKI definitions including KDIGO criteria. The abstract contains no mention of leeches, hirudotherapy, or any leech-derived compounds. This is a cardiology trial analysis comparing anticoagulant strategies with respect to renal outcomes. Bivalirudin (formerly Hirulog) is a synthetic peptide anticoagulant designed partly on the C-terminal sequence of hirudin, the anticoagulant of the medicinal leech (Maraganore et al., 1990); this paper studies the drug, not leech therapy.
Citation
Reference (Vancouver style)
Landi A, Branca M, Andò G, Russo F, Frigoli E, Gargiulo G, et al. Acute kidney injury in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing invasive management treated with bivalirudin vs. unfractionated heparin: insights from the MATRIX trial. Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care. 2021;10(10):1170-1179. doi:10.1093/ehjacc/zuab080. PMID: 34491323
Bibliographic details (authors, volume, pages, DOI) are taken from the PubMed record.
Added to ASH library: May 27, 2026 · Site last updated: June 18, 2026