The late-phase inflammatory response after drug-eluting stent implantation

Co-release of cytokines after drug-eluting stent implantation in acute myocardial infarction patients with PCI

Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) often requires stent implantation leading to cardiovascular injury and cytokine release. Stent implantation induces cytokines production including TNFα, Hs-CRP, IL-1ß, IL2 receptor, IL6, IL8, and IL10, but their co-release is not extensively established. In 311 PCI patients with Drug-Eluting Stent (DES) implantation, we statistically evaluate the correlation of these cytokines release in various clinical conditions, stent numbers, and medications. We observed that TNFα is moderately correlated with IL-1ß (r2 = 0.59, p = 0.001) in diabetic PCI patients. Similarly, in NSTEMI (Non-ST Segment Elevation) patients, TNFα is strongly correlated with both IL-1ß (r2 = 0.97, p = 0.001) and IL8 (r2 = 0.82, p = 0.001). In CAD (Coronary Artery Disease)-diagnosed patients TNFα is highly correlated (r2 = 0.84, p = 0.0001) with IL8 release but not with IL-1ß. In patients with an increased number of stents, Hs-CRP is significantly coupled with IL8 > 5 pg/ml (t-statistic = 4.5, p < 0.0001). Inflammatory suppressor drugs are correlated as TNFα and IL8 are better suppressed by Metoprolol 23.75 (r2 = 0.58, p < 0.0001) than by Metoprolol 11.87 (r2 = 0.80, p = 0.5306). Increased TNFα and IL-1ß are better suppressed by the antiplatelet drug Brilinta (r2 = 0.30, p < 0.0001) but not with Clopidogrel (r2 = 0.87, p < 0.0001). ACI/ARB Valsartan 80 (r2 = 0.43, p = 0.0011) should be preferred over Benazepril 5.0 (r2 = 0.9291, p < 0.0001) or Olmesartan (r2 = 0.90, p = 0.0001). Thus, the co-release of IL-1ß, IL8 with TNFα, or only IL8 with TNFα could be a better predictor for the outcome of stent implantation in NSTEMI and CAD-diagnosed AMI patients respectively. Cytokine suppressive medications should be chosen carefully to inhibit further cardiovascular damage.

SGLT2 inhibitor improves the prognosis of patients with coronary heart disease and prevents in-stent restenosis

Coronary heart disease is a narrowing or obstruction of the vascular cavity caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, which leads to myocardial ischemia and hypoxia. At present, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an effective treatment for coronary atherosclerotic heart disease. Restenosis is the main limiting factor of the long-term success of PCI, and it is also a difficult problem in the field of intervention. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor is a new oral glucose-lowering agent used in the treatment of diabetes in recent years. Recent studies have shown that SGLT2 inhibitors can effectively improve the prognosis of patients after PCI and reduce the occurrence of restenosis. This review provides an overview of the clinical studies and mechanisms of SGLT2 inhibitors in the prevention of restenosis, providing a new option for improving the clinical prognosis of patients after PCI.

Five-year comparative study of thin-strut rapamycin-eluting bioabsorbable scaffold with metallic drug-eluting stent in porcine coronary artery

Objectives

Using quantitative coronary angiography (QCA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), histomorphometry, and pharmacokinetics, this study tried to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Biomagic rapamycin-eluting bioabsorbable scaffold (BVS) in non-atherosclerotic porcine coronary arteries.

Background

Biomagic BVS is a new generation of thin-strut bioabsorbable scaffold. We conducted comparative study detailing pathological response, safety and efficacy of Biomagic BVS and the Firebird2 rapamycin-eluting cobalt-based alloy stent (DES) in a porcine coronary artery model. The animals were followed up at 14 days, 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, and 60 months after stent implantation.

Methods

A total of 143 devices (95 Biomagic and 48 Firebird2) were implanted in 2 or 3 main coronary arteries of 76 nonatherosclerotic swine and examined by QCA, OCT, light microscopy, and pharmacokinetics analyses at various time points.

Results

Vascular responses to Biomagic and Firebird2 were largely comparable at all time points, with struts being sequestered within the neointima. The degree of inflammation of both devices was mild to moderate, although the Biomagic score was higher at 14 days to 24 months. However, there was no statistical difference between the two groups except 14 days. At each follow-up time point, the percentage of area stenosis in the Biomagic group was greater than that in the Firebird 2 group, but there was no statistical difference between the two groups at 3 and 12 months. The extent of fibrin deposition was similar between Biomagic and Firebird2, which peaked at 1 month and decreased rapidly thereafter. Pharmacokinetic study showed that coronary tissue sirolimus concentration remained above 2 ng/mg of tissue at 28 day. Histomorphometry showed expansile remodeling of Biomagic-implanted arteries starting after 12 months, and lumen area was significantly greater in Biomagic than Firebird2 at 36 and 42 months. These changes correlated with dismantling of Biomagic seen after 12 months. OCT images confirmed that degradation of Biomagic was complete by 36 months.

Conclusions

Biomagic demonstrates comparable long-term safety to Firebird2 in porcine coronary arteries with mild to moderate inflammation. Although Biomagic was associated with greater percent stenosis relative to Firebird2 within 36 months, expansile remodeling was observed after 12 months in Biomagic with significantly greater lumen area at ≥36 months. Scaffold resorption is considered complete at 36 months.

Association between high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and/or microembolic signals after carotid angioplasty and stenting

Background

To evaluate the association between pre/post-procedural high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level and hs-CRP difference, and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) or new diffusion-weighted MRI lesions after carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS).

Methods

In this study, conducted in 2016 in Shiraz (Iran), patients who underwent diagnostic angiography and CAS were recruited. CAS was performed with distal embolic protection device on patients with both standard and high risk of endarterectomy. Pre/post-procedural hs-CRP, and hs-CRP difference were determined by immunoenzymometric assay method.

Results

A total of 50 patients with diagnostic angiography and 60 patients with CAS were enrolled. No death, myocardial infarction, ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, and need to revascularization occurred during the 30-days of the post-procedural period. Accordingly, the statistical evaluation in associating MACE and hs-CRP levels was impossible. Angioplasty was associated with higher frequency of elevated post-procedural hs-CRP in comparison to angiography (P=0.003). The higher age, symptomatic lesions, negative history of hypertension, and hs-CRP difference had significant association with the presence of new DWI lesions in univariate analysis (all P<0.05). Angioplasty of left carotid bulb and post-procedural hs-CRP levels was very close to the level of significance (P=0.06). But only left sided lesions had positive association (P=0.037) and hypertension had negative association (P=0.037) in multivariate regression analysis. There were significant association between post-procedural hs-CRP level (P=0.02) and hs-CRP difference (P=0.003), and the number of new lesions; and the hs-CRP difference and the accumulated lesion surface area (P=0.009).

Conclusion

Post-procedural hs-CRP and hs-CRP difference may predict embolic complications of CAS.

Neointimal tissue characterization after implantation of drug-eluting stents by optical coherence tomography: quantitative analysis of optical density

Normalized optical density (NOD) measured by optical coherence tomography represents neointimal maturity after coronary stent implantation and is correlated with morphologic information provided by both light and electron microscopy. We aimed to test the hypothesis that even second generation drug-eluting stents (DESs) are problematic in terms of neointimal maturity. We implanted bare-metal stents (BMS: n = 14), everolimus-eluting stents (EESs: n = 15) or zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZESs: n = 12) at 41 sites in 32 patients with stable coronary artery disease. OCT was performed at up to 12 months of follow-up, and the average optical density of neointima covering struts was evaluated. NOD was calculated as the optical density of stent-strut covering tissue divided by the optical density of the struts. We also measured circulating CD34+ /CD133+ /CD45low cells, and serum levels of stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1, interleukin (IL)-8 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 at baseline and follow-up. NOD was lower in the EES (0.70 ± 0.06) group than in the BMS (0.76 ± 0.07, P < 0.05) and ZES (0.76 ± 0.06, P < 0.05) groups. The mean neointimal area (R = 0.33, P < 0.05) and mean neointimal thickness (R = 0.37, P < 0.05) were correlated with NOD. Although NOD was not correlated with percent changes in circulating endothelial progenitor cells, and the levels of SDF-1 and IL-8, it was negatively correlated with the change in MMP-9 level (R = - 0.51, P < 0.01). Neointimal maturity might be lower at EES sites than BMS or ZES sites. This might lead to impaired neointimal tissue growth and matrix degradation. These results suggest a specific pathophysiology after DES implantation.

Nine-month results of the BIOHELIX-I clinical trial study: Evaluation of the PRO-Kinetic Energy cobalt chromium bare-metal stent system

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the PRO-Kinetic Energy (PKE) Cobalt Chromium Coronary Stent System (BIOTRONIK AG, Switzerland).

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous coronary intervention is a mainstay treatment for symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD). While drug-eluting stents constitute a majority of implants, bare-metal stents (BMS) remain important for a subset of patients. Newer generation BMS offer advantages due to stent design improvements.

METHODS

The BIOHELIX-I study was a prospective, multicenter, non-randomized, single arm clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the PKE bare metal stent. Thirty-three study centers (US, Columbia, Europe) enrolled 329 patients for treatment of one target lesion (≤31 mm). Eligible patients received a PKE stent(s), at least one month of dual antiplatelet therapy and were followed for 36-months. The primary endpoint was the 9-month rate of target vessel failure (TVF) compared with a prespecified performance goal of 18.7% derived from prior BMS trials.

RESULTS

The mean patient age was 69 years, 28.6% with diabetes. The mean lesion length was 13.7 ± 6.0 mm. The 9-month TVF rate was 9.06% and met the primary endpoint (P < 0.001). The TVF component rates were 0.95% cardiac death, 1.58% myocardial infarction, and 7.26% ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization (TVR). The ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization rate at 9-months was 6.62%.

CONCLUSIONS

The 9-month TVF rate of the PKE stent was comparable to other BMS and is a viable option for treating CAD. The low observed rate of ischemia-driven TVR supports the safety and efficacy of the novel BMS design.

In vivo and in vitro analyses of the effects of a novel high-nitrogen low-nickel coronary stent on reducing in-stent restenosis

Currently, percutaneous coronary intervention is an important treatment for coronary heart disease. However, the in-stent restenosis rate is still approximately 10–30% after stenting. Nickel ions from the stent are considered to be associated with in-stent restenosis. Therefore, in the present study, we quantitatively evaluated in-stent restenosis after implanting the novel high-nitrogen low-nickel coronary stent (HNS) and studied the mechanism underlying the reduction in in-stent restenosis by using ELISA and Western blot. The in vivo results showed that the HNS could significantly reduce neointima formation and inflammation as compared to SUS316L stents (316L) at 180 days after implantation in porcine coronary arteries and that vascular endothelial growth factor-A expression in porcine coronary arteries after HNS implantation also decreased. The in vitro results showed that, in the case of the HNS, human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation was lower and lesser IL-6 release was noted from HUVECs at one and three days after culture than in the 316L group. Furthermore, p-STAT3 expression in HUVECs on the HNS surface was downregulated after culture for seven days. Thus, we conclude that the HNS could be a promising alternative coronary stent for percutaneous coronary intervention.

Initial and late efficacy of everolimus-eluting stents for small and non-small coronary lesions from evaluating delayed late loss study

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes at 2 years in patients in whom everolimus-eluting stents (EESs) were implanted in small and non-small vessels. A small vessel is an important risk factor for restenosis with BMSs, even in the first generation DESs. The 690 patients with 690 lesions implanted with an EES were enrolled and divided into two groups by vessel reference diameter (RD): >2.5 mm for non-small vessels (Non-S-group) and ≤2.5 mm for small vessels (S-group). Two years later, the 365 patients with no restenosis at 8 months who underwent angiography were enrolled into the late catch-up study. At the initial 8-month follow-up, the rates of restenosis and target lesion revascularization (TLR) of both groups were not significantly different (restenosis 3.9 vs 6.5%, p = 0.17; TLR 3.9 vs 6.5%, p = 0.17). At the late 2-year follow-up, there were no significant differences in the late loss (0.36 ± 0.66 vs 0.34 ± 0.50 mm, p = 0.14), net gain (1.50 ± 0.75 vs 1.26 ± 0.60 mm, p = 0.39), late catch-up restenosis rate (5.1 vs 3.4%, p = 0.38), TLR (4.9 vs 2.7%, p = 0.40), and delayed late loss (0.14 ± 0.58 vs 0.15 ± 0.49 mm, p = 0.10) between both groups. There is no correlation between delayed late loss and RD in all patients(r = -0.009) and in AMI patients (r = -0.004). These results demonstrate that the initial and late catch-up restenosis rates of small coronary vessels with EES placement were excellent, the same as for non-small coronary vessels. We suggest that involvement of small coronary arteries may not be a risk factor for restenosis and results of stenting for small coronary arteries with EES placement were excellent.

Repeated Target Vessel Revascularization After Coronary Artery Bypass for In-Stent Restenosis

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of previous percutaneous coronary intervention with stent on long-term outcomes after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB).

METHODS

Between January 2001 and December 2014, 1,668 patients with triple-vessel disease undergoing OPCAB were reviewed and divided into 2 groups. The no-stent group (n = 1,409) included patients who underwent OPCAB as a primary revascularization procedure and the stent group (n = 259) included patients with a history of percutaneous coronary intervention with stent. The mean follow-up duration was 5.32 ± 3.39 years.

RESULTS

After propensity score matching, characteristics of both groups were comparable (n = 259 in each group). In-hospital mortality (n = 3 [1.2%] in both groups; p > 0.999) was similar. The 14-year overall survival rate (75.6% ± 6.6% in the no-stent group versus 71.9% ± 8.5% in the stent group; p = 0.917) and freedom from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) rate (68.3% ± 6.6% versus 54.6% ± 8.5%; p = 0.239) were also similar. However, freedom from target vessel revascularization (TVR) rate at 14 years was significantly higher in the no-stent group (97.2% ± 1.7% versus 76.9% ± 6.5%; p < 0.001). The independent risk factor for late TVR was in-stent restenosis (hazard ratio, 3.355; 95% confidence interval, 1.925 to 5.848; p < 0.001) and it also was a risk factor for MACCEs (hazard ratio, 1.645; 95% CI, 1.105 to 2.448; p = 0.014).

CONCLUSIONS

Previous intracoronary stenting does not increase long-term mortality, but grafting to previously stented target vessels with in-stent restenosis increases the risk of repeat TVR and MACCEs.

Insulin Resistance as a Predictor of the Late Catch-up Phenomenon After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an effective treatment for patients with ischemic heart disease. In particular, restenosis is suppressed after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. However, several problems remain. Previously, we reported neointimal proliferation after DES implantation, which was associated with insulin resistance (IR). The aim of the present study was to clarify whether IR is associated with mortality and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) after 1st-generation DES implantation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We researched the clinical records of 109 patients who had undergone elective PCI and DES implantation between May 2007 and December 2010. We segregated these patients according to the value of the homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) into Group P (n=63; HOMA-IR ≥2.5, positive) and Group N (n=46; HOMA-IR <2.5, negative), and examined the relationship between HOMA-IR and MACCE. The observation period was 7.4±1.6 years. There were no differences between the 2 groups in the occurrence of all-cause death, cardiac death, restenosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, or stent thrombosis. However, the late catch-up phenomenon was significantly more common in Group P than in Group N (12.7% vs. 2.2% P=0.048).

CONCLUSIONS

IR is a useful predictor of the late catch-up phenomenon after DES implantation, and improvement of IR may help to prevent the phenomenon. (Circ J 2016; 80: 657-662).

Comparison of the performance of zotarolimus- and everolimus-eluting stents by optical coherence tomography and coronary angioscopy

Overall stent performance should be characterized by geometric luminal gain acquisition, neointimal coverage of the stent struts, and stabilization of the underlying inflammatory neoatheroma. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES), everolimus-eluting stent (EES) and bare metal stent (BMS) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and coronary angioscopy. For 36 stented coronary lesions (BMS, 12 lesions; ZES, 11 lesions; EES, 13 lesions) in 27 patients, we calculated neointimal area and uncovered stent strut rate based on OCT findings at 10 months after stent placement. The grades of neointimal coverage and yellow color, both of which were classified from 0 to 3, were also assessed by coronary angioscopy. The plaque area of the ZES lesions was larger than that of the EES lesions (P < 0.05) but smaller than that of the BMS lesions (P < 0.05). The OCT-based uncovered rate of the ZES lesions was less than that of the EES lesions (P < 0.01), but similar to that of the BMS lesions. The stent coverage grade by angioscopy was higher in the ZES lesions than in the EES lesions (P < 0.05), but similar to the BMS lesions. The yellow grade was less in the ZES lesions than in the EES lesions (P < 0.01), but similar to the BMS lesions. ZES might be better than BMS in terms of neointimal thickening, and better than EES in terms of neointimal coverage as well as prevention of neoatheroma formation. ZES may have superior performance compared with EES.

The wound healing response after implantation of a drug-eluting stent is impaired persistently in the long term

A 70-year-old man underwent stent implantation for right coronary artery (RCA) lesions with a bare metal stent (BMS) and two sirolimus-eluting stents (SES). However, as both the BMS and SES stented sites developed restenosis after 13 months, he underwent target lesion revascularization using directional coronary atherectomy (DCA). On histopathology, the restenosis lesion at the SES-deployed site showed greater inflammation and less re-endothelialization than that at the BMS-deployed site. Three months later, the SES-deployed site developed a second restenosis, in which paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) were implanted (PES-in-SES), while the BMS-deployed site was restenosis free. Five years later, restenosis was absent in these RCA lesions. However, by optical coherence tomography and/or coronary angioscopy, the PES-in-SES site in the RCA showed poor neointimal coverage over the stent struts and yellowish neointima, suggesting lipid-rich neoatheroma formation, whereas at the BMS site appropriate white neointima formation was observed. Drug-eluting stents still have problems of persistent inflammation, inappropriate neointima formation, and neoatherosclerosis. Although we are now in the era of second generation DESs in which better stent performance would be promising, we should remember that we are obliged to continue to follow-up all patients in whom first generation DESs such as SES or PES have been placed.

Impact of drug-eluting balloon (pre- or post-) dilation on neointima formation in de novo lesions treated by bare-metal stent: the IN-PACT CORO trial

The efficacy of DEB in modifying the high restenosis risk associated with BMS implantation is doubtful. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) may allow precise assessment of neointimal formation after stent implantation. We performed a single-center, prospective, 1:2 randomized trial comparing BMS implantation alone (BMS group) vs. additional DEB (DEB group). DEB patients were further randomized 1:1 to DEB before stenting (pre-DEB group), or after stenting (post-DEB group). Primary endpoint was OCT-assessed neointimal hyperplasia (expressed both as mean in-stent neointimal area and as percentage obstruction of the mean stent area) at 6 months. Secondary endpoints were the percentage of uncovered and malapposed stent struts. Thirty patients were enrolled and randomized to BMS (n = 10), pre-DEB (n = 10), post-DEB (n = 10). At 6-month OCT follow-up, DEB significantly reduced neointimal area compared with BMS: mean neointimal area 2.01 ± 0.89 vs. 3.03 ± 1.07 mm(2) (p = 0.02), percentage area obstruction 24.56 ± 12.50 vs. 37.51 ± 12.26 % (p = 0.02). The percentage of uncovered and malapposed stent struts did not differ significantly between BMS and DEB. In the comparison between pre-DEB and post-DEB, no significant difference was observed for both primary and secondary endpoints. In de novo coronary lesions treated with BMS, DEB use could be associated with a mild reduction in neointimal hyperplasia at 6 months; this effect could be unrelated to the timing of DEB dilation (pre- or post-stenting).

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Identifier: NCT01057563.

Does really previous stenting affect graft patency following CABG? A 5-year follow-up: The effect of PCI on graft survival

The aim of this study was to compare the graft patency rates among patients who had a previous history of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) followed by coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) with the patients who had experienced CABG surgery alone. The 69 patients who were included in the study had a history of bare metal stent implantation prior to CABG (group 1). The coronary angiography results were compared with 69 patients who had a previous history of CABG (group 2). Graft patency rates of the left anterior descending artery and circumflex anastomoses are statistically significant for both groups, whereas the right coronary artery anastomoses are not statistically significant (p = 0.008; 0.009; 0.2). Graft patency rate of LIMA-LAD anastomoses was 43.9 ± 10.8 % in group 1 and 86.2 ± 6 % in group 2 for means of 60 months (p = 0.0001) and circumflex coronary artery anastomosis is 28.9 ± 0.9 % in group 1, 65.7 ± 10.8 % in group 2 (p = 0.0001) and the right coronary artery anastomosis is 37.2 ± 13.6 % in group 1, 56.4 ± 8.9 % in group 2 (p = 0.0001). The graft patency rates of coronary arteries without previous stent implantation were higher than the patients with previous stent implantation and experienced CABG. The results suggest that prior PCI may induce atherosclerotic events in the vessel that can adversely affect graft patency after surgery.