The assessment of Shin’s method for the prediction of creatinine kinase-MB elevation after percutaneous coronary intervention: an intravascular ultrasound study

Association between tissue characteristics of coronary plaque and distal embolization after coronary intervention in acute coronary syndrome patients: insights from a meta-analysis of virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound studies

Background and Objectives

The predictive value of plaque characteristics assessed by virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) including fibrous tissue (FT), fibrofatty (FF), necrotic core (NC) and dense calcium (DC) in identifying distal embolization after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the association of pre-PCI plaque composition and post-PCI distal embolization in acute coronary syndrome patients.

Methods

Studies were identified in PubMed, OVID, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, the Current Controlled Trials Register, reviews, and reference lists of relevant articles. A meta-analysis using both fixed and random effects models with assessment of study heterogeneity and publication bias was performed.

Results

Of the 388 articles screened, 10 studies with a total of 872 subjects (199 with distal embolization and 673 with normal flow) met the eligibility of our study. Compared with normal flow groups, significant higher absolute volume of NC [weighted mean differences (WMD): 5.79 mm³, 95% CI: 3.02 to 8.55 mm³; p<0.001] and DC (WMD: 2.55 mm³, 95% CI: 0.22 to 4.88 mm³; p = 0.03) were found in acute coronary syndrome patients with distal embolization. Further subgroup analysis demonstrated that the predictive value of tissue characteristics in determining distal embolization was correlated to clinical scenario of the patients, definition of distal embolization, and whether the percutaneous aspiration thrombectomy was applied.

Conclusion

Our study that pooled current evidence showed that plaque components were closely related to the distal embolization after PCI, especially the absolute volume of NC and DC, supporting further studies with larger sample size and high-methodological quality.

The Effect of Exogenous Creatine Phosphate on Myocardial Injury After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Objective:

To evaluate the effect of exogenous creatine phosphate (CP) on myocardial injury after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Method:

Four hundred patients were divided to receive conventional therapy (control group) or 3-day intravenous infusion of CP after PCI (CP group). Levels of creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) and troponin I (TnI) were measured before and on postprocedural day 3.

Results:

Postprocedural CK-MB and TnI in the CP group were significantly increased compared to the control group. In the CP group, 8.0% and 5.0% of patients had an increase in CK-MB 1 to 3 times and >3 times, respectively, which were significantly lower than that of the control group (19.0% and 9.0%, respectively); 12.0% and 10.0% of patients had an increase in TnI 1 to 3 times and >3 times, respectively, which were significantly lower than that of the control group (21.0% and 18.0%, respectively).

Conclusion:

Exogenous CP was helpful to reduce myocardial injury after PCI.

Meta-analysis of plaque composition by intravascular ultrasound and its relation to distal embolization after percutaneous coronary intervention

Controversies exist regarding the association between plaque composition and distal embolization phenomenon after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We evaluated the effect of plaque characteristics on embolization after PCI by grayscale and virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). We searched PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases for IVUS studies evaluating the coronary plaque characteristics in no reflow, distal embolization, and periprocedural myocardial infarction after PCI. Sixteen studies were included, totaling 1,697 patients who underwent PCI (292 patients with embolization and 1,405 patients without embolization). At the minimum lumen sites, the external elastic membrane (weighted mean difference 2.38 mm(2), 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02 to 3.74) and the plaque and media cross-sectional areas (weighted mean difference 2.44 mm(2), 95% CI 1.44 to 3.45) were significantly greater in the embolization group than in the no embolization group. Pooled analysis showed that the absolute necrotic core volume (standardized mean difference 0.49, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.85), absolute (standardized mean difference 0.73, 95% CI 0.14 to 1.31) and relative (standardized mean difference 1.02, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.31) necrotic core areas at the minimum lumen sites were significantly greater in the embolization group than in the no embolization group, but the other plaque components were similar in the 2 groups. In conclusion, the necrotic core component derived from virtual histology-IVUS and the morphologic characteristics of plaque derived from grayscale IVUS are closely related to the distal embolization phenomenon after PCI.

Effect of the composition of atherosclerotic plaques and rate of platelet aggregation on elevation of serum levels of cardiac troponin T after percutaneous coronary interventions

PURPOSE

Elevation of the levels of myocardial biomarkers after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has prognostic value in patients with coronary heart disease. We explored the relationship between elevation of the serum level of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) after PCI and platelet aggregation rate and coronary plaque composition.

METHODS

Eighty patients with unstable angina pectoris underwent PCI and were divided into two groups according to serum cTnT level 24 hours after PCI: group I (cTnT ≥2 times the normal level) and group II (cTnT <2 times the normal level). Coronary plaque composition was measured with virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound. Platelet aggregation rate was detected immediately before and 24 hours after PCI.

RESULTS

Compared with the patients in group II, patients in group I showed more unstable plaques, a larger necrotic core area (20.88 ± 8.04% vs. 15.31 ± 5.48%, P < 0.05), higher platelet aggregation rate (51.47 ± 12.72% vs. 44.78 ± 13.29%, P < 0.05), and longer stents. The serum cTnT level 24 hours after PCI was positively correlated with the necrotic core area.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with unstable angina pectoris, a large necrotic core, high rate of platelet aggregation, and stent length are predictors of cTnT elevation after PCI.

Multicenter assessment of the reproducibility of volumetric radiofrequency-based intravascular ultrasound measurements in coronary lesions that were consecutively stented

To assess in a multicenter design the between-center reproducibility of volumetric virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) measurements with a semi-automated, computer-assisted contour detection system in coronary lesions that were consecutively stented. To evaluate the reproducibility of volumetric VH-IVUS measurements, experienced analysts of 4 European IVUS centers performed independent analyses (in total 8,052 cross-sectional analyses) to obtain volumetric data of 40 coronary segments (length 20.0 ± 0.3 mm) from target lesions prior to percutaneous intervention that were performed in the setting of stable (65%) or unstable angina pectoris (35%). Geometric and compositional VH-IVUS measurements were highly correlated for the different comparisons. Overall intraclass correlation for vessel, lumen, plaque volume and plaque burden was 0.99, 0.92, 0.96, and 0.83, respectively; for fibrous, fibro-lipidic, necrotic core and calcified volumes overall intraclass correlation was 0.96, 0.94, 0.98, and 0.99, respectively. Nevertheless, significant differences for both geometrical and compositional measurements were seen. Of the plaque components, fibrous tissue and necrotic core showed on average the highest measurement reproducibility. A central analysis for VH-IVUS multicenter studies of lesions prior to PCI should be pursued. Moreover, it may be problematical to pool VH-IVUS data of individual trials analyzed by independent centers.