Late Adverse Events After Implantation of Sirolimus-Eluting Stent and Bare-Metal Stent: Long-Term (5–7 Years) Follow-Up of the Coronary Revascularization Demonstrating Outcome Study-Kyoto Registry Cohort-2

Comparison of Clinical Outcomes Among Various Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Strategies for Small Coronary Artery Disease

It remains unclear which percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategy is the most preferable in patients with small-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD). We sought to evaluate the clinical efficacy of various PCI strategies for patients with small-vessel CAD through a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We searched multiple databases for RCTs investigating the efficacy of the following PCI strategies for small-vessel CAD (<3 mm in diameter): drug-coated balloons (DCB), early-generation paclitaxel-eluting stents and sirolimus-eluting stents (SES), newer-generation drug-eluting stents (DES), bare-metal stents (BMS), cutting balloon angioplasty, and balloon angioplasty (BA). The primary outcome was the trial-defined major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), mostly defined as a composite of death, myocardial infarction, and revascularization. The secondary outcomes included each component of MACE and angiographic binary restenosis. We performed a sensitivity analysis for RCTs without BMS or first-generation DES. Our search identified 29 eligible RCTs, including 8,074 patients among the 8 PCI strategies. SES significantly reduced MACE compared with BA (hazard ratio 0.23, 95% confidence interval 0.10 to 0.54) with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 55.9%), and the rankogram analysis showed that SES was the best. There were no significant differences between DCB and newer-generation DES in any clinical outcomes, which was consistent in the sensitivity analysis. BMS and BA were ranked as the worst 2 for most clinical outcomes. In conclusion, SES was ranked as the best for reducing MACE. There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between DCB and newer-generation DES. BMS and BA were regarded as the worst strategies for small-vessel CAD.

Biodegradable or durable polymer drug-eluting stents in patients with coronary artery disease: ten-year outcomes of the randomised NEXT Trial

BACKGROUND

There are no randomised trials reporting clinical outcomes of biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stents (BP-BES) and durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents (DP-EES) at 10 years.

AIMS

We aimed to compare the 10-year clinical outcomes between BP-BES and DP-EES.

METHODS

The randomised NOBORI Biolimus-Eluting Versus XIENCE/PROMUS Everolimus-eluting Stent Trial (NEXT) was originally designed to evaluate the non-inferiority of BP-BES relative to DP-EES with the primary efficacy endpoint of target lesion revascularisation (TLR) at 1 year and the primary safety endpoint of death or myocardial infarction (MI) at 3 years. In this extended follow-up study, clinical outcomes were compared from 1 year after stent implantation up to 10 years between patients with BP-BES and DP-EES.

RESULTS

From May to October 2011, NEXT enrolled a total of 3,241 patients from 98 centres in Japan. The current study population consisted of 2,417 patients (1,204 patients with BP-BES and 1,213 with DP-EES) from 66 centres that agreed to participate in the extended study. Complete 10-year follow-up was achieved in 87.5% of patients. The cumulative 10-year incidence of death or MI was 34.0% in the BP-BES group and 33.1% in the DP-EES group (hazard ratio [HR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90-1.20; p=0.58). TLR occurred in 15.9% of patients in the BP-BES group and in 14.1% of the DP-EES group (HR 1.12, 95% CI: 0.90-1.40; p=0.32). In a landmark analysis at 1 year, the cumulative incidences of death or MI and TLR were not significantly different between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The safety and efficacy outcomes for BP-BES were not significantly different from those for DP-EES at 1 year and up to 10 years after stent implantation.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing BioMime Sirolimus-Eluting Stent With Everolimus-Eluting Stent: Two-Year Outcomes of the meriT-V Trial

BACKGROUND

Drug-eluting stents (DESs) based on biodegradable polymers (BPs) have been introduced to reduce the risk for late and very late stent thrombosis (ST), which were frequently observed with earlier generations of DES designs based on durable polymers (DPs); however, randomized controlled trials on these DES designs are scarce. The meriT-V trial is a randomized, active-controlled, non-inferiority trial with a prospective, multicenter design that evaluated the 2-year efficacy of a novel third-generation, ultra-thin strut, BP-based BioMime sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) versus the DP-based XIENCE everolimus-eluting stent (EES) for the treatment of de novo lesions.

METHODS

The meriT-V is a randomized trial that enrolled 256 patients at 15 centers across Europe and Brazil. Here, we report the outcomes of the extended follow-up period of 2 years. The randomization of enrolled patients was in a 2:1 ratio; the enrolled patients received either the BioMime SES (n = 170) or the XIENCE EES (n = 86). The three-point major adverse cardiac event (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), or ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization (ID-TVR), was considered as the composite safety and efficacy endpoint. Ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization (ID-TLR) was evaluated as well as the frequency of definite/probable ST, based on the first Academic Research Consortium definitions.

RESULTS

The trial had a 2-year follow-up completion rate of 98.44% (n = 252/256 patients), and the clinical outcomes assessment showed a nonsignificant difference in the cumulative rate of three-point MACE between both arms (BioMime vs. XIENCE: 7.74% vs. 9.52%, P = 0.62). Even the MI incidences in the BioMime arm were insignificantly lower than those of the XIENCE arm (1.79% vs. 5.95%, P = 0.17). Late ST was observed in 1.19% cases of the XIENCE arm, while there were no such cases in the BioMime arm (P = 0.16).

CONCLUSIONS

The objective comparisons between the novel BP-based BioMime SES and the well-established DP-based XIENCE EES in this randomized controlled trial show acceptable outcomes of both the devices in the cardiac deaths, MI, ID-TVR, and ST. Moreover, since there were no incidences of cardiac death in the entire study sample over the course of 2 years, we contend that the findings of the study are highly significant for both these DES designs. In this preliminary comparative trial, the device safety of BioMime SES can be affirmed to be acceptable, considering the lower three-point MACE rate and absence of late ST in the BioMime arm over the 2-year period.

Five-year outcomes of biodegradable versus second-generation durable polymer drug-eluting stents used in complex percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

There are few data comparing clinical outcomes of complex percutaneous coronary intervention (CPCI) when using biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BP-DES) or second-generation durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DES). The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of BP-DES and compare that with DP-DES in patients with and without CPCI during a 5-year follow-up.

METHODS

Patients who exclusively underwent BP-DES or DP-DES implantation in 2013 at Fuwai Hospital were consecutively enrolled and stratified into two categories based on CPCI presence or absence. CPCI included at least one of the following features: unprotected left main lesion, ≥2 lesions treated, ≥2 stents implanted, total stent length >40 mm, moderate-to-severe calcified lesion, chronic total occlusion, or bifurcated target lesion. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction, and total coronary revascularization (target lesion revascularization, target vessel revascularization [TVR], and non-TVR) during the 5-year follow-up. The secondary endpoint was total coronary revascularization.

RESULTS

Among the 7712 patients included, 4882 (63.3%) underwent CPCI. Compared with non-CPCI patients, CPCI patients had higher 2- and 5-year incidences of MACE and total coronary revascularization. Following multivariable adjustment including stent type, CPCI was an independent predictor of MACE (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.151; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.017-1.303, P  = 0.026) and total coronary revascularization (aHR: 1.199; 95% CI: 1.037-1.388, P  = 0.014) at 5 years. The results were consistent at the 2-year endpoints. In patients with CPCI, BP-DES use was associated with significantly higher MACE rates at 5 years (aHR: 1.256; 95% CI: 1.078-1.462, P  = 0.003) and total coronary revascularization (aHR: 1.257; 95% CI: 1.052-1.502, P  = 0.012) compared with that of DP-DES, but there was a similar risk at 2 years. However, BP-DES had comparable safety and efficacy profiles including MACE and total coronary revascularization compared with DP-DES in patients with non-CPCI at 2 and 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients underwent CPCI remained at a higher risk of mid- to long-term adverse events regardless of the stent type. The effect of BP-DES compared with DP-DES on outcomes was similar in CPCI and non-CPCI patients at 2 years but had inconsistent effects at the 5-year clinical endpoints.

Neoatherosclerosis prediction using plaque markers in intravascular optical coherence tomography images

Introduction

In-stent neoatherosclerosis has emerged as a crucial factor in post-stent complications including late in-stent restenosis and very late stent thrombosis. In this study, we investigated the ability of quantitative plaque characteristics from intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) images taken just prior to stent implantation to predict neoatherosclerosis after implantation.

Methods

This was a sub-study of the TRiple Assessment of Neointima Stent FOrmation to Reabsorbable polyMer with Optical Coherence Tomography (TRANSFORM-OCT) trial. Images were obtained before and 18 months after stent implantation. Final analysis included images of 180 lesions from 90 patients; each patient had images of two lesions in different coronary arteries. A total of 17 IVOCT plaque features, including lesion length, lumen (e.g., area and diameter); calcium (e.g., angle and thickness); and fibrous cap (FC) features (e.g., thickness, surface area, and burden), were automatically extracted from the baseline IVOCT images before stenting using dedicated software developed by our group (OCTOPUS). The predictive value of baseline IVOCT plaque features for neoatherosclerosis development after stent implantation was assessed using univariate/multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses.

Results

Follow-up IVOCT identified stents with (n = 19) and without (n = 161) neoatherosclerosis. Greater lesion length and maximum calcium angle and features related to FC were associated with a higher prevalence of neoatherosclerosis after stent implantation (p < 0.05). Hierarchical clustering identified six clusters with the best prediction p-values. In univariate logistic regression analysis, maximum calcium angle, minimum calcium thickness, maximum FC angle, maximum FC area, FC surface area, and FC burden were significant predictors of neoatherosclerosis. Lesion length and features related to the lumen were not significantly different between the two groups. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, only larger FC surface area was strongly associated with neoatherosclerosis (odds ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-1.80, p < 0.05). The area under the ROC curve was 0.901 (95% CI 0.859-0.946, p < 0.05) for FC surface area.

Conclusion

Post-stent neoatherosclerosis can be predicted by quantitative IVOCT imaging of plaque characteristics prior to stent implantation. Our findings highlight the additional clinical benefits of utilizing IVOCT imaging in the catheterization laboratory to inform treatment decision-making and improve outcomes.

Optimal Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Focused Review on High Bleeding Risk

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is a therapeutic cornerstone to prevent stent thrombosis following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the longer the DAPT duration, the higher the incidence of bleeding and mortality. Since the advent of second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES), the continuous evolution of DES has reduced the thrombotic risk and allowed for a shorter DAPT duration. On the other hand, concerns on the elevated risk of bleeding during antithrombotic therapy have been further raised due to the growing number of elderly CAD patients with multiple comorbidities. The consequent debate topic over post-PCI antithrombotic therapy has shifted from simply reducing thrombotic risk to safely minimizing bleeding risk. Due to the significant impact of bleeding on clinical outcomes, including prognosis, current guidelines on antithrombotic therapy for CAD prioritize stratification of patients at a high bleeding risk (HBR) as the top consideration in determining post-PCI antithrombotic therapy. Achieving optimal antithrombotic therapy for each patient undergoing PCI requires a better understanding of the clinical variables constituting the balance of bleeding and thrombotic risk. This review highlights relevant evidence required to optimize antithrombotic therapy for HBR patients undergoing PCI.

In Stent Neo-Atherosclerosis: Pathophysiology, Clinical Implications, Prevention, and Therapeutic Approaches

Despite the dramatic improvements of revascularization therapies occurring in the past decades, a relevant percentage of patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) still develops stent failure due to neo-atherosclerosis (NA). This histopathological phenomenon following stent implantation represents the substrate for late in-stent restenosis (ISR) and late stent thrombosis (ST), with a significant impact on patient’s long-term clinical outcomes. This appears even more remarkable in the setting of drug-eluting stent implantation, where the substantial delay in vascular healing because of the released anti-proliferative agents might increase the occurrence of this complication. Since the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of NA diverge from native atherosclerosis and early ISR, intra-coronary imaging techniques are crucial for its early detection, providing a proper in vivo assessment of both neo-intimal plaque composition and peri-strut structures. Furthermore, different strategies for NA prevention and treatment have been proposed, including tailored pharmacological therapies as well as specific invasive tools. Considering the increasing population undergoing PCI with drug-eluting stents (DES), this review aims to provide an updated overview of the most recent evidence regarding NA, discussing pathophysiology, contemporary intravascular imaging techniques, and well-established and experimental invasive and pharmacological treatment strategies.

Stent-Related Adverse Events as Related to Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in First- vs Second-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents

Background

There are limited data on the long-term stent-related adverse events as related to the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in second-generation (G2) drug-eluting stents (DES) compared with first-generation (G1) DES.

Objectives

This study sought to compare the long-term stent-related outcomes of G2-DES with those of G1-DES.

Methods

The study group consisted of 15,009 patients who underwent their first coronary revascularization with DES from the CREDO-Kyoto PCI/CABG (Coronary Revascularization Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting) Registry Cohort-2 (first-generation drug-eluting stent [G1-DES] period; n = 5,382) and Cohort-3 (second-generation drug eluting stent [G2-DES] period; n = 9,627). The primary outcome measures were definite stent thrombosis (ST) and target vessel revascularization (TVR).

Results

The cumulative 5-year incidences of definite ST and TVR were significantly lower in the G2-DES group than in the G1-DES group (0.7% vs 1.4%; P < 0.001; and 16.2% vs 22.1%; P < 0.001, respectively). The lower adjusted risk of G2-DES relative to G1-DES for definite ST and TVR remained significant (HR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.37-0.76; P < 0.001; and HR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.68-0.81; P < 0.001, respectively). In the landmark analysis that was based on the DAPT status at 1 year, the lower adjusted risk of on-DAPT status relative to off-DAPT was significant for definite ST beyond 1 year in the G1-DES stratum (HR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.24-0.76; P = 0.004) but not in the G2-DES stratum (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.26-1.68; P = 0.38) (P interaction = 0.14).

Conclusions

G2-DES compared with G1-DES were associated with a significantly lower risk for stent-related adverse events, including definite ST and TVR. DAPT beyond 1 year was associated with a significantly lower risk for very late ST of G1-DES but not for that of G2-DES.

Risk factors for revascularization and in-stent restenosis in patients with triple-vessel disease after second-generation drug-eluting stent implantation: a retrospective analysis

Objectives

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cardiac disease with high morbidity and mortality, and triple-vessel disease (TVD) is a severe type of CAD. This study investigated risk factors for revascularization and in-stent restenosis (ISR) in TVD patients who underwent second-generation drug-eluting stent implantation.

Methods

A retrospective clinical study was conducted, and 246 triple-vessel disease (TVD) patients with 373 vessels after second-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation who received follow-up coronary angiography (CAG) were consequently enrolled. According to the follow-up angiography, patients were categorized into the revascularization group and nonrevascularization group as well as the in-stent restenosis (ISR) group and non-ISR group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for revascularization and ISR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with area under the curve (AUC) analysis was performed to assess the predictive power of these risk factors.

Results

In the median follow-up period of 28.0 (14.0, 56.0) months, 142 TVD patients (57.7%) with 168 vessels underwent revascularization, and ISR occurred in 43 TVD patients (17.5%) with 47 vessels after second-generation DES implantation. Compared to the nonrevascularization group, the revascularization group presented with an increased rate of current smoking and higher levels of TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, non-HDL-c, ApoB, neutrophils, and Hs-CRP as well as a longer follow-up of months but with a lower level of HDL-C. In addition, patients in the ISR group had an older age, longer follow-up (months) and elevated rates of current smoking and stage 4–5 chronic kidney disease (CKD4-5). In multivariate analysis, current smoking and higher non-HDL-c were independent risk factors for revascularization. In addition, older age, current smoking and CKD4-5 were considered independent risk factors for ISR. Importantly, the receiver operating characteristic curve showed that non-HDL-C and age displayed predictive power for revascularization and ISR, respectively.

Conclusion

Current smoking is an independent risk factor for both revascularization and in-stent restenosis. Higher non-HDL-c is independently related to revascularization; moreover, increased age and CKD4-5 are potential risk factors for ISR in TVD patients after second-generation drug-eluting stent implantation.

Potential Mechanisms of In-stent Neointimal Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation

ABSTRACT

Percutaneous coronary intervention has become the main revascularization strategy for coronary artery disease. Compared with early percutaneous coronary angioplasty and the extensive clinical application of bare metal stents, drug-eluting stents can significantly reduce the stenosis caused by the elastic retraction of plaque and neoatherosclerosis (NA), but there is still a high incidence of in-stent restenosis (ISR), which restricts the clinical efficacy of stent implantation. In-stent neoatherosclerosis (ISNA), defined as atherosclerotic lesions in the neointima, is one of the main causes of late stent failure. ISNA plays an important role in stent thrombosis and ISR. The rate of target lesion revascularization and in-stent thrombosis is high when NA arises. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to explore the occurrence of NA and its development mechanism after stent implantation to prevent ISR and improve stent implantation efficacy and associated clinical prognosis. In this article, we systematically reviewed the existing clinical research on ISNA and the role of optical coherence tomography in its evaluation.

Predictors and outcomes of neoatherosclerosis in patients with in-stent restenosis

BACKGROUND

In-stent restenosis (ISR), especially for neoatherosclerosis, is still a major problem of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) even in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era.

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of neoatherosclerosis on prognosis after PCI for ISR.

METHODS

Between March 2009 and December 2017, 313 ISR lesions in patients undergoing an OCT-guided PCI in five hospitals were retrospectively enrolled. Neoatherosclerosis was defined as a lipid neointima or calcified neointima. We examined the association between neoatherosclerosis and the clinically driven target lesion revascularisation (CD-TLR) rates.

RESULTS

In 313 ISR lesions, 64 lesions (20.4%) had bare metal stents and 241 lesions (77.0%) had drug-eluting stents (DES). Among them, 47.0% of lesions (147 lesions) had neoatherosclerosis. A multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that eGFR (odds ratio [OR] 0.986, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.974-0.998; p=0.023), the time from PCI to the ISR (OR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.06-1.22; p<0.001) and DES-ISR (OR 2.48, 95% CI: 1.18-5.43; p=0.019) were independent predictors for neoatherosclerosis. A multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that neoatherosclerosis was an independent predictor of CD-TLR.

CONCLUSIONS

In this multicentre ISR registry, OCT imaging demonstrated that eGFR, the time from PCI to the ISR and DES-ISR were independent predictors for neoatherosclerosis and that neoatherosclerosis in ISR lesions had a worse impact on the CD-TLR rate.

Three-year clinical outcomes of a sirolimus-eluting bioresorbable scaffold (XINSORB) and a metallic stent to treat coronary artery stenosis

Background

Recent studies have shown increased risks of late target lesion failure (TLF) and thrombosis using a bioresorbable scaffold (BRS). However, the results of the ABSORB China study offered a different means of understanding the long-term performance of BRSs. We tested the 3-year clinical outcome of the XINSORB BRS in a multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial (ChiCTR1800014966).

Methods

Eligible patients with one or two de novo coronary lesions were randomly assigned 1:1 to be treated with XINSORB scaffolds and metallic sirolimus-eluting stents (SESs). The clinical endpoints include TLF [cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction (TV-MI), or ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization (ID-TLR)], its components, and devised thrombosis.

Results

Three hundred ninety-five patients were enrolled and randomized to the XINSORB (N=200) and SES (N=195) arms. The clinical 3-year follow-up included 95.5% of the XINSORB-treated patients and 92.8% of the SES-treated patients. Dual antiplatelet therapy was at 59.0% of the XINSORB-treated and 52.8% of the SES-treated patients (P=0.34). There were no significant differences in the clinical outcomes between the XINSORB and SES arms, including in TLF (4.0% vs. 6.2%, P=0.29), cardiac death (1.0% vs. 0%, P=NA), TV-MI (1.0% vs. 0%, P=NA), and ID-TLR (3.5% vs. 6.2%, P=0.19). The rate of confirmed/probable device thrombosis in the XINSORB-treated patients was only 1.0% (2/200).

Conclusions

In this XINSORB randomized clinical trial, the XINSORB scaffolds and SESs showed similar efficacy and safety up to the 3-year follow-up. The rates of TLF and device thrombosis were low and comparable between the two arms.

Clopidogrel Monotherapy vs. Aspirin Monotherapy Following Short-Term Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients Receiving Everolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent Implantation

BACKGROUND

There is a scarcity of data on short-duration dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) followed by P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy as compared with aspirin monotherapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS AND RESULTS

STOPDAPT-1 is a prospective trial enrolling patients who agreed to 3-month DAPT followed by aspirin monotherapy after everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation. STOPDAPT-2 is a randomized trial comparing 1-month DAPT followed by clopidogrel monotherapy with 12-month DAPT after EES implantation. We compared the clinical outcomes of patients assigned to the 1-month DAPT group in STOPDAPT-2 and the 3-month DAPT group enrolled in STOPDAPT-1. The current study population consisted of 1,480 patients in STOPDAPT-2 and 1,339 patients in STOPDAPT-1. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, definite stent thrombosis and TIMI major/minor bleeding. Cumulative 1-year incidence of the primary endpoint was not significantly different between STOPDAPT-2 and STOPDAPT-1 (2.3% vs. 2.3%, P=0.98). After adjusting for confounders, there was no excess risk of STOPDAPT-2 relative to STOPDAPT-1 for the primary endpoint. Between 3 and 12 months, the cumulative incidence of primary endpoint was not significantly different between STOPDAPT-2 and STOPDAPT-1 (1.7% vs. 1.6%, P=0.77).

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of 1-month DAPT followed by clopidogrel monotherapy on clinical outcomes was similar to that of 3-month DAPT followed by aspirin monotherapy in patients receiving PCI.

Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Duration in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: The State of the Art and Open Issues

Conflicting results have been reported so far in pooled analyses and studies evaluating the optimum duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. However, randomized clinical trials dedicated to this specific setting of higher thrombotic risk patients have only recently been completed, pointing at the noninferiority of a shorter strategy as compared to the traditional 12-month DAPT, furthermore allowing to reduce the risk of major bleeding complications. Therefore, a reconsideration of current clinical practice and guidelines should be certainly be advocated in light of the most recent updates, especially among ACS patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and modern drug-eluting stents (DES). Our aim was to provide a comprehensive review of the available evidence on the optimal DAPT duration in ACS patients.

Comparison of Clinical Characteristics of Stent Thrombosis Between the Right Coronary Artery and the Left Coronary Artery - A Subanalysis of the REAL-ST Registry

BACKGROUND

Stent thrombosis (ST) remains a severe complication following stent implantation. We previously reported the risk factors for ST after 2nd-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) in the REAL-ST (Retrospective Multicenter Registry of ST After First- and Second-Generation DES Implantation) registry.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this subanalysis, we aimed to reveal the difference in ST between right coronary (RCA) and left (LCA) coronary arteries. A total of 307 patients with ST were divided into the RCA-ST group (n=93) and the LCA-ST group (n=214). Multivariate analysis revealed younger age (odds ratio [OR] 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93-0.99, P=0.01), ostial lesion at the time of index percutaneous coronary intervention (OR 4.37, 95% CI 1.43-13.33, P=0.01), bifurcation lesion at the time of index PCI (OR 0.05, 95% CI 0.02-0.12, P<0.01), chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesion at the time of index PCI indication (OR 4.19, 95% CI 1.05-16.71, P=0.04), and use of prasugrel at the time of ST (OR 7.30, 95% CI 1.44-36.97, P=0.02) were significantly associated with RCA-ST.

CONCLUSIONS

Younger age, ostial or CTO lesion, and use of prasugrel at the time of ST were prominent factors in RCA-ST, whereas bifurcation lesion was associated with LCA-ST. We should pay attention to the differences between RCA-ST and LCA-ST to prevent ST.

Randomized comparison between 2-link cell design biolimus A9-eluting stent and 3-link cell design everolimus-eluting stent in patients with de novo true coronary bifurcation lesions: the BEGIN trial

The appropriate stent platform for treating coronary bifurcation lesions (CBLs) remains controversial. Previous bench tests have demonstrated the superiority of a 2-link cell design to 3-link cell design for creating inter-strut dilation at the side branch ostium. This randomized multicenter prospective BEGIN trial compared the biodegradable polymer-based biolimus A9-eluting stent (2-link BES) with the durable polymer-based cobalt chromium everolimus-eluting stent (3-link EES) in 226 patients with de novo CBLs. Patients with true bifurcations, defined as > 50% stenosis in the main vessel and side branch (SB) and an SB diameter > 2.25 mm, were enrolled. Guide wire re-crossing to the distal cell (near the carina) in the jailed SB and final kissing inflation were recommended. The SB angiographic endpoint was < 50% stenosis diameter. Left-main CBLs (13.5% vs. 13.0%) and 2-stent technique (30.6% vs. 22.6%) rates were similar. The primary endpoints (minimum lumen diameter at the SB ostium measured at an independent core laboratory at the 8-month follow-up) were comparable (1.64 ± 0.50 mm vs. 1.63 ± 0.51 mm, p = 0.976). There was no significant difference in composite outcomes of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target vascular revascularization at 12 months (7.4% vs. 8.0%, p = 0.894). Two-link BES and 3-link EES showed similar 8-month angiographic and 1-year clinical outcomes for true CBLs.

Influence of a history of cancer on long-term cardiovascular outcomes after coronary stent implantation (an Observation from Coronary Revascularization Demonstrating Outcome Study-Kyoto Registry Cohort-2)

Aims

To evaluate the influence of a history of cancer on clinical outcomes in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods and results

In the Coronary REvascularization Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto (CREDO-Kyoto) PCI/coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) Registry Cohort-2, there were 12 180 CAD patients who received PCI with stents. There were 1109 patients with a history of cancer (cancer group) and 11 071 patients without cancer (non-cancer group). The cumulative 5-year incidences of cardiac death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization were significantly higher in the cancer group than in the non-cancer group (12.4% vs. 7.5%, P < 0.001 and 12.1% vs. 7.6%, P < 0.001, respectively). Even after adjusting for confounders, the excess risk of the cancer group relative to non-cancer group for cardiac death and HF hospitalization remained significant [hazard ratio (HR) 1.27, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.05-1.53; P = 0.02, and HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.13-1.68; P = 0.002, respectively]. Also, the cancer group had a trend toward higher adjusted risk for definite or probable stent thrombosis as compared with the non-cancer group (HR 1.49, 95% CI 0.99-2.16; P = 0.055). The cancer group had significantly higher adjusted risk for all-cause death, non-cardiac death, major bleeding, and non-CABG surgery than the non-cancer group, while the risks for myocardial infarction and stroke were neutral between the two groups.

Conclusion

Patients with a history of cancer at the time of PCI had increased risk for cardiac events such as cardiac death and HF hospitalization as well as non-cardiac events such as non-cardiac death, major bleeding, and non-CABG surgery.

Association of Subclinical Intrastent Thrombus Detected 9 Months After Implantation of 2nd-Generation Drug-Eluting Stent With Future Major Adverse Cardiac Events - A Coronary Angioscopic Study

BACKGROUND

Detection of yellow plaques (YP) by coronary angioscopy (CAS) 1 year after 1st-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation has been related to future coronary events. However, the association between CAS findings and clinical outcomes following 2nd-generation DES implantation has not been investigated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study included a total of 248 2nd-generation DES in 179 patients, who were examined by CAS 9±2 months after implantation. Angioscopic evaluation included dominant neointimal coverage (NIC) grade, heterogeneity of NIC, presences of YP and intrastent thrombus. The outcome measure was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as a composite of cardiac death, acute myocardial infarction and any coronary revascularization. The association between the CAS findings and MACE was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the predictors of MACE. The mean follow-up duration was 1,367±843 days. Dominant NIC grade (P=0.98), heterogeneity of NIC (P=0.20) and YP (P=0.53) were not associated with the incidence of MACE. However, intrastent thrombus was significantly associated with MACE (P=0.033). Intrastent thrombus (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.22; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-4.39), acute coronary syndrome (2.83; 95% CI: 1.42-5.67) and B2/C lesion (2.13; CI: 1.12-4.05) were independent predictors of MACE.

CONCLUSIONS

Subclinical intrastent thrombus observed by CAS at 9 months after 2nd-generation DES implantation was independently associated with poor clinical outcome.

Planned use of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors is safe and effective during implantation of the Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold

Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffolds (BVS) have the potential for adaptive vessel remodeling, restoration of vasomotion, and late luminal enlargement, thus allowing them to circumvent target lesion failures associated with bare metal stents (BMS) and drug-eluting stents (DES). However, recent data has shown a concerning increase in BVS-associated scaffold thrombosis (ScT) compared to DES. Upfront administration of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPIs) has shown to reduce early stent thrombosis (ST) compared to standard of care in BMS and DES. Since the use of GPIs was limited in BVS studies, the effect of GPIs on the rate of BVS-associated ScT is largely unknown. This is the first study investigating whether a planned use of GPIs during implantation of the Absorb BVS represents a safe and effective strategy in reducing ScT. In a retrospective chart review of 22 patients undergoing PCI with BVS implantation and planned GPI administration, no acute ScT, in-hospital MACE, or in-hospital major/minor bleeding events were observed. Bleeding reduction strategies such as shorter GPI infusion and radial access were implemented. This study provides valuable preliminary evidence on the benefit and safety in using planned GPI administration to reduce the incidence of ScT after implantation of BVS.

In-hospital major arrhythmias, arrhythmic death and resuscitation after successful primary percutaneous intervention for acute transmural infarction: a retrospective single-centre cohort study

BACKGROUND

Transmural acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with a high risk for ventricular arrhythmia before, during and after treatment. Consequently, it is recommended that patients diagnosed with transmural AMI be monitored in a cardiac care unit (CCU) so life-threatening arrhythmias can be treated promptly. We examined the incidence and timing of in-hospital malignant ventricular arrhythmias, sudden cardiac or arrhythmic death (SCD/AD) and resuscitation requirements in patients with transmural AMI recovering from percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) undertaken within 12 h of symptom onset and without antecedent thrombolysis.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study using the Duisburg Heart Center (Germany) cardiac patient registry. In total, 975 patients met the inclusion criteria. The composite endpoint was post-PCI ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, SCD/AD or requirement for resuscitation. We compared the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who met the composite endpoint with those who did not, recorded the timing of endpoint episodes, and used multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with the endpoint criteria.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in the length of CCU or hospital stay between the groups. In-hospital mortality was 6.5%, and the composite endpoint was met in 7.4% of cases. Malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia occurred in 2.8% of the patients, and SCD/AD occurred in 0.3% of the cases. There was a biphasic temporal distribution of endpoint events; specifically, 76.7% occurred < 96 h after symptom onset, and 12.6% occurred 240-360 h after symptom onset. Multivariable regression analysis identified positive associations between an endpoint episode and the following: age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.05] per year); left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 30% (OR 3.66, 95% CI 1.91-6.99); peak serum creatine phosphokinase concentration (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02 per 100 U/dl); leucocytosis (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.04-3.32), and coronary thrombus (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.04-3.27).

CONCLUSIONS

Most post-PCI malignant ventricular arrhythmias, SCD/AD and resuscitation episodes occurred within 96 h of transmural AMI (76.7%). A substantial minority (12.6%) of these events arose 240-360 h after symptom onset. Further study is needed to establish the influence of age, LVEF < 30%, peak serum creatine phosphokinase concentration, leucocytosis and coronary thrombus on post-PCI outcomes after transmural AMI.

Prediction of Thrombotic and Bleeding Events After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: CREDO-Kyoto Thrombotic and Bleeding Risk Scores

Background

Prediction of thrombotic and bleeding risk is important to optimize antithrombotic therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods and Results

We developed the prediction rules for thrombotic and bleeding events separately in Japanese patients. Derivation and validation cohorts consisted of 4778 patients from CREDO‐Kyoto (Coronary Revascularization Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto) registry cohort 2 and 4669 patients from RESET (Randomized Evaluation of Sirolimus‐Eluting Versus Everolimus‐Eluting Stent Trial) and NEXT (Nobori Biolimus‐Eluting Versus Xience/Promus Everolimus‐Eluting Stent Trial). Primary thrombotic and bleeding events were a composite of myocardial infarction, definite or probable stent thrombosis or ischemic stroke, and GUSTO (Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Occluded Coronary Arteries) moderate or severe bleeding. The prediction rule for thrombosis assigned 2 points for severe chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease, and anemia and 1 point for age ≥75 years, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and chronic total occlusion. The prediction rule for bleeding assigned 2 points for thrombocytopenia, severe chronic kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, and heart failure and 1 point for prior myocardial infarction, malignancy, and atrial fibrillation. In derivation and validation cohorts, area under the curve was 0.68 and 0.64, respectively, for thrombosis and 0.66 and 0.66, respectively, for bleeding. In the validation cohort, a high thrombosis risk score (≥4, n=682) was associated with higher 3‐year incidence of thrombotic events than a score that was intermediate (2–3, n=1178) or low (0–1, n=2809) (7.6%, 3.7%, versus 2.4%, respectively; P<0.0001). A high bleeding risk score (≥3, n=666) was associated with higher incidence of bleeding than scores that were intermediate (1–2, n=1802) or low (0, n=2201) (8.8%, 4.1%, versus 2.3%, respectively; P<0.0001). Among 682 patients at high thrombotic risk, only 39 (5.7%) had low bleeding risk, whereas 401 (58.8%) had high bleeding risk with very high incidence of bleeding (11.6%).

Conclusions

CREDO‐Kyoto thrombotic and bleeding risk scores demonstrated modest accuracy in stratifying thrombotic and bleeding risks; however, a large proportion of patients at high thrombotic risk also had high bleeding risk.

Clinical analysis of lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 in patients with in-stent restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention

In-stent restenosis (ISR) is the most common complication associated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Although some studies have reported an association between lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) and ISR, not enough clinical validation data are available to support this link. Here, we report our cross-sectional study aimed at exploring the feasibility of LOX-1 as a biomarker for the prognostic diagnosis of patients undergoing PCI.Three groups were included: ISR group, including 99 patients with ISR diagnosed with coronary arteriography (CAG) after PCI; lesion group, comprising 87 patients with coronary artery stenosis (<50%) diagnosed with CAG after PCI; and control group, consisting of 96 volunteers with no coronary artery disease. The levels of LOX-1 were measured in each patient by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and their general information as well as laboratory parameters were recorded and followed up during a period of 2 years.LOX-1 levels gradually increased after PCI along with the progression of the lesion in the 3 groups. The levels of LOX-1 were significantly higher in the ISR group than in the other 2 groups (P < .001). LOX-1 levels were correlated with the levels of uric acid (UA) (r = 0.289, P = .007), creatinine (CREA) (r = .316, P = .003), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (r = -0.271, P = .012), whereas no statistically significant correlation was detected with the Gensini score (r = 0.157, P = .141). The sensitivity and specificity of LOX-1 were 81.5% and 55.7%, respectively, with the most optimal threshold (5.04 μg/L). The area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve of LOX-1 was 0.720, and LOX-1 had the highest AUC compared with CREA, UA, and HDL-C, both individually and in combination.A high level of LOX-1 in the early period after PCI has a certain predictive power and diagnostic value for ISR. However, the level of LOX-1 is not related to the Gensini score of coronary artery after PCI, and CREA and UA, which are weakly related to LOX-1, have no obvious synergy in the diagnosis of ISR with LOX-1.

Five-Year Clinical Outcomes After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation Following Rotational Atherectomy for Heavily Calcified Lesions

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous coronary intervention for heavily calcified lesions requires rotational atherectomy (RA). Long-term clinical outcomes after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation following (RA) for heavily calcified lesions remain unclear. We assessed 5-year clinical outcomes after DES implantation following RA.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Between March 2006 and September 2011, 219 consecutive patients with 219 lesions treated with DES following RA, were retrospectively enrolled. The cumulative 5-year incidence of target-lesion revascularization (TLR) and definite stent thrombosis (ST) were assessed. The cumulative incidence of TLR within (≤) the first year was 18.6%. Late TLR beyond (>) 1 year continued to occur at 1.9% per year without a decrease in the rate (5-year incidence, 26.0%). The cumulative incidence of definite ST at 30 days, 1 and 5 years was 0.9%, 2.3% and 2.9%, respectively. The annual rate of definite ST beyond 1 year was 0.15%. On multivariate analysis, the significant predictor of TLR within 1 year was use of first-generation DES (hazard ratio [HR], 2.09; 95% CI: 1.10-4.03, P=0.02) and that of TLR beyond 1 year was hemodialysis (HR, 3.29; 95% CI: 1.06-10.55, P=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Late TLR beyond 1 year continued to occur up to 5 years at a constant annual incidence, whereas very late ST was rare. Careful long-term clinical follow-up is continually needed in patients who have already received DES following RA for heavily calcified lesions.

Five-year clinical outcomes of everolimus-eluting stents from the post marketing study of CoCr-EES (XIENCE V/PROMUS) in Japan

The Cobalt Chromium Everolimus-Eluting Stent (CoCr-EES) Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) Japan study is a prospective multicenter registry designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of XIENCE V/PROMUS everolimus-eluting stents in routine clinical practice at 47 centers representative of the clinical environment in Japan. We enrolled 2010 consecutive patients (2649 lesions) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention using CoCr-EES. Clinical outcomes were evaluated through 5 years. Mean age was 68.8 years, 41.9% had diabetes, 4.9% received hemodialysis. Five-year clinical follow up was available for 1704 (84.8%) patients. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurred in 10.7% of patients, including cardiac death (3.8%), myocardial infarction (1.8%), and clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) (6.0%). Beyond 1 year, annual incidence of clinically driven TLR was 0.5-0.8%. Definite or probable stent thrombosis occurred in 9 (0.5%) patients at 5 years. After 1 year, definite stent thrombosis occurred in only 1 patient. Significant predictors for MACE were dialysis (ODDs ratio 4.58, 95% CI 2.75-7.64), prior cardiac intervention (ODDs ratio 2.47, 95% CI 1.75-3.49), total stent length (ODDs ratio 1.01, 95% CI 1.01-1.02), and number of diseased vessels (ODDs ratio 1.66, 95% CI 1.08-2.55). Five-year clinical outcomes from the CoCr-EES PMS Japan study demonstrated a low incidence of clinical events in the daily practice up to 5 years.Clinical Trial Registration Information: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01086228 .

Documented coronary atherothrombosis as the cause of death in post-discharge patients after coronary revascularization

BACKGROUND

The contemporary medications for secondary prevention like statins and antithrombotic agents are targeting to delay the progression of atherothrombosis. However, there is limited data on the relation between death and progressive coronary atherothrombosis. This study sought to evaluate what proportion of death after coronary revascularization is related to documented progressive coronary atherothrombosis.

METHODS

We reviewed the detailed causes of death among 15,231 patients receiving their first coronary revascularization enrolled in the CREDO-Kyoto PCI/CABG registry cohort-2, dividing into two groups; 13,839 patients with clinical success and without major complication (uncomplicated) and the other 1392 patients (complicated). Documented progressive coronary atherothrombosis as the cause of death was defined as preceding coronary revascularization within 30days before death or irreversible brain damage and/or proof of coronary thrombus by autopsy.

RESULTS

During the median follow-up of 5.4years, 2837 patients died with cumulative 5-year incidence of 17.5%. The proportions of cardiac/non-cardiovascular death among all-cause death in uncomplicated patients and complicated patients were 36.6%/51.5% and 74.2%/17.4%, respectively. The numbers of patients died with documented progressive coronary atherothrombosis were 41 (1.9% of all-cause death) and 304 (47.3%). The number was only 51 (2.1%) among all post-discharge patients. Dominant causes of cardiac death in post-discharge patients included heart failure (10.0%) and sudden cardiac death (9.1%), both without apparent relation with progressive coronary atherothrombosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Only about one-third of deaths were cardiac in origin during 5-year follow-up in post-discharge patients after coronary revascularization. Cardiac death after discharge was very infrequently related to documented progressive coronary atherothrombosis.

Impact of Transient or Persistent Contrast-induced Nephropathy on Long-term Mortality After Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is associated with increased long-term mortality. However, it is still controversial whether CIN is the cause of increased mortality or merely a marker of high-risk patients. The current study population included 5,516 patients who underwent their first elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the Coronary REvascularization Demonstrating Outcome Study in Kyoto registry cohort-2. CIN was defined as an elevation in the peak serum creatinine (SCr) of ≥0.5 mg/dl from the baseline within 5 days after PCI. CIN, seen in 218 patients (4.0%), was independently associated with an increased long-term mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI],1.11 to 1.83; p = 0.005). SCr data at 1 year (180 to 550 days) after PCI were available in 3,986 patients, who were subdivided into persistent CIN (follow-up SCr elevation ≥0.5 mg/dl: n = 50 [1.3%]), transient CIN (follow-up SCr elevation <0.5 mg/dl: n = 90 [2.3%]), and non-CIN (n = 3,846 [96.5%]). In the landmark analysis at 1 year after PCI, 524 patients (13.1%) died during a median follow-up of 1,521 days. After adjustment for the 37 confounders, persistent CIN, but not transient CIN, was significantly correlated with a higher long-term mortality risk compared with non-CIN (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.12 to 3.03; p = 0.02, and HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.76; p = 0.6, respectively). In conclusion, only persistent CIN was independently associated with increased long-term mortality.

Very Late Pathological Responses to Cobalt-Chromium Everolimus-Eluting, Stainless Steel Sirolimus-Eluting, and Cobalt-Chromium Bare Metal Stents in Humans

Background

The “very late” clinical outcomes for durable polymer drug‐eluting stents and bare metal stents (BMSs) have been shown to be dissimilar in clinical studies. Conceptually, the long‐term vascular compatibility of BMSs is still regarded to be superior to drug‐eluting stents; however, no pathologic study to date has specifically addressed this issue. We evaluated the very late (≥1 year) pathologic responses to durable polymer drug‐eluting stents (cobalt–chromium [CoCr] everolimus‐eluting stents [EESs] and stainless steel sirolimus‐eluting stents [SS‐SESs]) versus BMSs (CoCr‐BMSs).

Methods and Results

From the CVPath stent registry, we studied a total of 119 lesions (40 CoCr‐EESs, 44 SS‐SESs, 35 CoCr‐BMSs) from 92 autopsy cases with a duration ranging from 1 to 5 years. Sections of stented coronary segments were pathologically analyzed. Inflammation score and the percentage of struts with giant cells were lowest in CoCr‐EESs (median inflammation score: 0.6; median percentage of struts with giant cells: 3.8%) followed by CoCr‐BMSs (median inflammation score: 1.3 [P<0.01]; median percentage of struts with giant cells: 8.9% [P=0.02]) and SS‐SESs (median inflammation score: 1.7 [P<0.01]; median percentage of struts with giant cells: 15.3% [P<0.01]). Polymer delamination was observed exclusively in SS‐SESs and was associated with increased inflammatory and giant cell reactions. The prevalence of neoatherosclerosis with CoCr‐EESs (50%) was significantly less than with SS‐SESs (77%, P=0.02) but significantly greater than with CoCr‐BMSs (20%, P<0.01).

Conclusions

CoCr‐EESs, SS‐SESs, and BMSs each demonstrated distinct vascular responses. CoCr‐EESs demonstrated the least inflammation, near‐equivalent healing to BMSs, and lower neointimal formation. These results challenge the belief that BMSs have superior biocompatibility compared with some polymeric coated drug‐eluting stents and may have implications for future stent design.

Meta-Analysis of Comparison of 5-Year Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients With Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery in the Era of Drug-eluting Stents

Patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease are increasingly being treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using drug-eluting stents (DES), but long-term outcomes comparing PCI with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remain limited. We performed aggregate data meta-analyses of clinical outcomes (all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, repeat revascularization, cardiac death, and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events) in studies comparing 5-year outcomes of PCI with DES versus CABG in patients with ULMCA disease. A comprehensive literature search (January 1, 2003 to December 10, 2016) identified 9 studies (6,637 patients). Effect size for individual clinical outcomes was estimated using odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random effects model. At 5 years, PCI with DES was associated with equivalent cardiac (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.62 to 1.46) and all-cause mortality (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.33), lower rates of stroke (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.84), and higher rates of repeat revascularization (OR 2.52, 95% CI 1.63 to 3.91); compared with CABG, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events showed a trend favoring CABG but did not reach statistical significance (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.54). In conclusion, for ULMCA disease, PCI can be considered as a comparably effective and yet less invasive alternative to CABG given the comparable long-term mortality and lower incidences of stroke.

Relationship between optical coherence tomography-defined in-stent neoatherosclerosis and out-stent arterial remodeling assessed by serial intravascular ultrasound examinations in late and very late drug-eluting stent failure

BACKGROUND

Little is known regarding the association between chronological out-stent vessel remodeling and in-stent tissue characteristics of drug-eluting stent (DES) failure. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between serial vessel remodeling after DES implantation and neoatherosclerosis (NA) assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with DES failure.

METHODS

Forty-eight patients with late and very late stent failure after DES implantation, who underwent intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) at both the initial percutaneous coronary intervention and the time of stent failure and OCT imaging at the time of stent failure, were retrospectively investigated. NA on OCT was defined as neointimal formation with the presence of lipids or calcification inside the stents. Lesions were divided into two groups: those with NA and those without NA (NA: n=21; non-NA: n=27). From the serial IVUS examinations, external elastic membrane (EEM) volume and out-stent plaque volume were normalized by stent length and their changes were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The NA group showed older stent age [median, 5.1 years (IQR, 4.8-8.3) vs 1.4 years (IQR, 0.8-4.5); p<0.01] and more prevalent sirolimus-eluting stents (SES; 81.0% vs. 29.6%; p<0.01). IVUS findings of the NA group showed a greater serial increase in both normalized EEM volume and normalized out-stent plaque volume (OSPVI) [1.05 (0.41-1.90) vs. 0.11 (-0.64 to 0.80) mm²; p<0.01; and 0.88 (0.57-1.98) vs. 0.12 (-0.41 to 0.78) mm²; p<0.01]. On multivariate analysis, percentage change in OSPVI (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01-1.14; p=0.02) and SES (OR, 9.78; 95% CI, 2.20-43.40; p<0.01) remained independent predictors of NA.

CONCLUSIONS

NA in late and very late DES failure was associated with out-stent positive vessel remodeling. In addition to SES, out-stent progressive positive remodeling may help predict NA in late and very late DES failure.

Short versus prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration after coronary stent implantation: A comparison between the DAPT study and 9 other trials evaluating DAPT duration

Aims

The Dual Antiplatelet Therapy (DAPT) study demonstrated that DAPT beyond 1-year after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation, as compared with aspirin therapy alone, significantly reduced the risk of major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, which was mainly driven by the large risk reduction for myocardial infarction (MI). We sought to compare the largest DAPT study with other trials evaluating DAPT durations after DES implantation.

Methods and results

By a systematic literature search, we identified 9 trials comparing prolonged- versus short-DAPT in addition to the DAPT study. The result from the DAPT study (N = 9961) with public–private collaboration was different from the pooled result of the 9 other investigator-driven trials (N = 22174) in terms of the effect of prolonged-DAPT on MI (odds ratio [OR] 0.48 [95%CI 0.38–0.62] versus pooled OR 0.88 [95%CI 0.67–1.15]: P = 0.001 for difference), while the trends for excess risk of prolonged-DAPT relative to short-DAPT for all-cause death (OR 1.31 [95%CI 0.97–1.78] versus pooled OR 1.16 [95%CI 0.92–1.45]: P = 0.53 for difference), and bleeding (OR 1.62 [95%CI 1.21–2.17] versus pooled OR 2.08 [95%CI 1.51–2.84]: P = 0.25 for difference) were consistently seen in both the DAPT and other trials. The annual rate of MI during aspirin mono-therapy in the DAPT study was much higher than that those in the other trials (2.7% versus 0.6–1.6%).

Conclusions

Given the difference between the DAPT study and other trials, future studies should focus on certain subgroups of patients that are more or less likely to benefit from longer duration DAPT.

Difference in clinical presentations and related angiographic findings among early, late, and very late sirolimus-eluting stent failures requiring target lesion revascularization

BACKGROUNDS

The difference in clinical presentations (acute coronary syndrome [ACS] and stable coronary artery disease [SCAD]) and related angiographic morphologies of sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) failure requiring target lesion revascularization (TLR) during early-term (<1year), late-term (1-5years), and very late-term periods (>5years) remains unknown.

METHODS

Among 4484 lesions undergoing SES implantation, clinically-driven TLR was performed on 105 lesions during early-term, 169 lesions during late-term, and 147 lesions during very late-term period. Angiographic morphological patterns were divided into focal or non-focal patterns and stent-edge or stent-body patterns.

RESULTS

The proportion of ACS substantially increased in very late TLR lesions (57.1%) from early (40.0%, p=0.01) and late TLR lesions (36.7%, p<0.001). The proportions of both stent-edge and non-focal patterns were higher in very late TLR lesions than in early and late TLR lesions. Although the stent-edge pattern tended to be more prevalent in SCAD lesions than in ACS lesions during the early- and late-term periods, it was more frequently observed in ACS lesions than in SCAD lesions during the very late-term period (65.5% vs. 47.6%, p=0.04). The non-focal pattern was more frequent in ACS lesions than in SCAD lesions during all 3 periods. However, the proportion of the non-focal pattern in ACS lesions was extremely high during the very late-term (90.5%) compared with the early- (47.6%, p<0.001) and late-term periods (48.4%, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Stent-related ACS became more common beyond 5years after SES implantation. Stent-edge and non-focal patterns were the main angiographic morphologies of very late SES failure, particularly causing ACS.

Clinical implications of blood-material interaction and drug eluting stent polymers in review

INTRODUCTION

Despite advances in drug-eluting stent (DES) technology, stent thrombosis (ST) remains the most feared complication with high morbidity and mortality. Areas covered: Stent related factors certainly play a role in the pathophysiology of ST and more recent data suggest coating technologies have the potential to favorable modify this risk though blood material interactions. Of the polymer coatings used in DES, fluorinated polymers in particular have shown significant promise in modifying the risk of ST through their preferential interactions with albumin which is believed to prevent the adhesion and aggregation of platelets to the stent surface and thus minimize thrombus formation. Preclinical data from the porcine arteriovenous fistula model and clinical data from large network meta-analysis support a role for fluorinated polymers in reducing ST. Expert commentary: The search for more biocompatible anti-thrombotic polymer coatings continues and it is likely that further modification of stent based surfaces will revolutionize the field of interventional cardiology by one day obviating the need for systemic anti-platelet therapies in patients receiving intravascular devices.

Very long-term serial luminal changes after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation and progression process of very late stent failure

BACKGROUND

Very long-term angiographic results after sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation have not been clarified. This study investigated serial angiographic results of early (<1year), late (1-5years), and very late (>5years) follow-up after SES implantation and the progression process to very late SES failure.

METHODS

We analyzed 631 lesions undergoing serial coronary angiography at early, late, and very late follow-up after SES implantation. The results of 205 lesions undergoing very late target lesion revascularization (VL-TLR; TLR beyond 5years) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS; 83) and non-ACS (122) were evaluated in comparison with 426 non-TLR lesions as a control group.

RESULTS

Non-TLR lesions showed no attenuated decline of minimum lumen diameter from postprocedure (2.51±0.47mm), early (2.37±0.58mm), late (2.22±0.60mm), up to very late (2.01±0.63mm) follow-up. In VL-TLR lesions, compared to non-TLR lesions, late lumen loss (LLL) from postprocedure to early follow-up was similar, but delayed LLL from early to late follow-up was significantly larger (0.25±0.48mm vs. 0.15±0.46mm, p=0.01). Although the delayed LLL was significantly larger in non-ACS lesions (0.29±0.44mm) than in non-TLR lesions (p<0.01), it was similar in ACS (0.19±0.52mm) and non-TLR lesions (p=0.54). Very delayed LLL from late to very late follow-up was 1.65±0.82mm in ACS lesions and 1.10±0.76mm in non-ACS lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

Progression of in-stent luminal narrowing did not attenuate beyond 5years after SES implantation. In very late SES failure, stent-related ACS lesions showed gradual luminal narrowing and subsequent rapid progression beyond 5years, whereas non-ACS lesions had progressive luminal narrowing within 5years.

Mechanical behavior of polymer-based vs. metallic-based bioresorbable stents

Bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS) were developed to overcome the drawbacks of current metallic drug-eluting stents (DES), such as late in-stent restenosis and caging of the vessel permanently. The concept of the BRS is to provide transient support to the vessel during healing before being degraded and resorbed by the body, freeing the vessel and restoring vasomotion. The mechanical properties of the BRS are influenced by the choice of the material and processing methods. Due to insufficient radial strength of the bioresorbable material, BRS often required large strut profile as compared to conventional metallic DES. Having thick struts will in turn affect the deliverability of the device and may cause flow disturbance, thereby increasing the incidence of acute thrombotic events. Currently, the bioresorbable poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) polymer and magnesium (Mg) alloys are being investigated as materials in BRS technologies. The bioresorption process, mechanical properties, in vitro observations and clinical outcomes of PLLA-based and Mg-based BRS will be examined in this review.

Inverse Relationship between Serum VEGF Levels and Late In-Stent Restenosis of Drug-Eluting Stents

Late in-stent restenosis (ISR) has raised concerns regarding the long-term efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DES). The role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the pathological process of ISR is controversial. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum VEGF levels and late ISR in patients with DES implantation. A total of 158 patients who underwent angiography follow-up beyond 1 year after intervention were included. The study population was classified into ISR and non-ISR groups. The ISR group was further divided according to follow-up duration and Mehran classification. VEGF levels were significantly lower in the ISR group than in the non-ISR group [96.34 (48.18, 174.14) versus 179.14 (93.59, 307.74) pg/mL, p < 0.0001]. Multivariate regression revealed that VEGF level, procedure age, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were independent risk factors for late ISR formation. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that VEGF levels were even lower in the very late (≥5 years) and diffuse ISR group (Mehran patterns II, III, and IV) than in the late ISR group (1–4 years) and the focal ISR group (Mehran pattern I), respectively. Furthermore, significant difference was found between diffuse and focal ISR groups. Serum VEGF levels were inversely associated with late ISR after DES implantation.

Paving the way to a bioresorbable technology: Development of the absorb BRS program

Bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS) combine attributes of the preceding generations of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) devices with new technologies to result in a novel therapy promoted as being the fourth generation of PCI. By providing mechanical support and drug elution to suppress restenosis, BRS initially function similarly to drug eluting stents. Thereafter, through their degradation, BRS undergo a decline in radial strength, allowing a gradual transition of mechanical function from the scaffold back to the artery in order to provide long term effectiveness similar to balloon angioplasty. The principles of operation of BRS, whether of polymeric or metallic composition, follow three phases of functionality reflective of differing physiological requirements over time: revascularization, restoration, and resorption. In this review, these three fundamental performance phases and the metrics for the nonclinical evaluation of BRS, including both bench and preclinical testing, are discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impact of lesion calcification on angiographic outcomes after Absorb everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold implantation: an observation from the ABSORB Japan trial

AIMS

We aimed to investigate the impact of lesion calcification on angiographic outcomes after Absorb everolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation in comparison with those after cobalt-chromium everolimus-eluting stent (CoCr-EES) implantation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The present post hoc analysis of the ABSORB Japan randomised trial compared post-procedure and 13-month angiographic outcomes between patients implanted with BVS and CoCr-EES based on the presence or absence of calcification, excluding extremely heavily calcified lesions or lesions requiring rotational atherectomy. The study population comprised 384 patients with 384 lesions (including 114 lesions [29.7%] with moderate or severe calcification), classified into two subgroups: calcification, 114 (BVS: n=72 and CoCr-EES: n=42) and non-calcification, 270 (BVS: n=181 and CoCr-EES: n=89). Follow-up angiography was performed in 94.8% of patients. Both post-procedure and follow-up in-device minimal lumen diameters were comparable in both the BVS arm (calcification vs. non-calcification: 2.43±0.32 mm vs. 2.43±0.39 mm, p=0.91 and 2.17±0.49 mm vs. 2.27±0.47 mm, p=0.17) and in the CoCr-EES arm (2.68±0.34 mm vs. 2.65±0.42 mm, p=0.62 and 2.57±0.52 mm vs. 2.47±0.53 mm, p=0.36).

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate or severe lesion calcification (excluding patients with extremely heavily calcified lesions or lesions requiring rotational atherectomy) does not negatively affect angiographic outcomes at both post-procedure and 13-month follow-up after BVS implantation.

Long-term (8-10 years) outcomes after biodegradable polymer-coated biolimus-eluting stent implantation

OBJECTIVE

Efficacy and safety data on biodegradable polymer-coated biolimus-eluting stent (BP-BES) are currently limited to 5 years. We evaluated longer term (8-10 years) clinical and angiographic outcomes after BP-BES implantation.

METHODS

Between 2005 and 2008, 243 patients (301 lesions) underwent BP-BES implantation. The primary clinical outcome measure was defined as any target lesion revascularisation (TLR). Absolute serial angiographic studies without any concomitant TLR within 2 years after the procedure were performed in 55 patients (65 lesions) at postprocedure, mid-term (within 1 year), late term (between 1 and 2 years) and very late term (beyond 2 years).

RESULTS

The median follow-up duration was 9.4 years (IQR 8.2-10.2 years). The 8-year cumulative incidence of any TLR was 20.3%. The increase rate was approximately 7% per year in the first 2 years, but decelerated to approximately 1.2% per year beyond 2 years after the procedure. The minimal lumen diameter significantly decreased from postprocedure (2.63±0.44 mm) to mid-term (2.43±0.59 mm, p=0.002) and from late term (2.27±0.63 mm) to very late term (1.98±0.73 mm, p=0.002). The 8-year cumulative incidences of definite or probable stent thrombosis (ST) and major bleeding (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) ≥3) were 0.5% and 12.0%, respectively. Definite ST was none within 10 years in the entire cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

The long-term clinical outcomes after BP-BES implantation were favourable, although angiographic late progression of luminal narrowing did not reach a plateau. The incidence of ST remained notably low, whereas that of major bleeding gradually increased.

The ReACT Trial: Randomized Evaluation of Routine Follow-up Coronary Angiography After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Trial

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term clinical impact of routine follow-up coronary angiography (FUCAG) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in daily clinical practice in Japan.

BACKGROUND

The long-term clinical impact of routine FUCAG after PCI in real-world clinical practice has not been evaluated adequately.

METHODS

In this prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized trial, patients who underwent successful PCI were randomly assigned to routine angiographic follow-up (AF) group, in which patients were to receive FUCAG at 8 to 12 months after PCI, or clinical follow-up alone (CF) group. The primary endpoint was defined as a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, emergency hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome, or hospitalization for heart failure over a minimum of 1.5 years follow-up.

RESULTS

Between May 2010 and July 2014, 700 patients were enrolled in the trial among 22 participating centers and were randomly assigned to the AF group (n = 349) or the CF group (n = 351). During a median of 4.6 years of follow-up (interquartile range [IQR]: 3.1 to 5.2 years), the cumulative 5-year incidence of the primary endpoint was 22.4% in the AF group and 24.7% in the CF group (hazard ratio: 0.94; 95% confidence interval: 0.67 to 1.31; p = 0.70). Any coronary revascularization within the first year was more frequently performed in AF group than in CF group (12.8% vs. 3.8%; log-rank p < 0.001), although the difference between the 2 groups attenuated over time with a similar cumulative 5-year incidence (19.6% vs. 18.1%; log-rank p = 0.92).

CONCLUSIONS

No clinical benefits were observed for routine FUCAG after PCI and early coronary revascularization rates were increased within routine FUCAG strategy in the current trial. (Randomized Evaluation of Routine Follow-up Coronary Angiography After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Trial [ReACT]; NCT01123291).

Pathology of Endovascular Stents

Contemporary endovascular stents are the product of an iterative design and development process that leverages evolving concepts in vascular biology and engineering. This article reviews how insights into vascular pathophysiology, materials science, and design mechanics drive stent design and explain modes of stent failure. Current knowledge of pathologic processes is providing a more complete picture of the factors mediating stent failure. Further evolution of endovascular stents includes bioresorbable platforms tailored to treat plaques acutely and to then disappear after lesion pacification. Ongoing refinement of stent technology will continue to require insights from pathology to understand adverse events, refine clinical protocols, and drive innovation.