Efficacy and Safety of TurboHawk Plaque Rotation Combined With Drug-coated Balloon in Treating Diabetic Patients With Lower Extremity Arterial Disease

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of TurboHawk plaque rotation system combined with drug-coated balloon in treating lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) of diabetes patients, a total of 145 diabetic patients with LEAD from March 2015 to September 2016 were recruited in our study. Lower extremity arterial disease was diagnosed by ultrasound and CT angiography (CTA). According to the surgical method, 65 cases underwent TurboHawk plaque rotation combined with drug-coated balloon (group A), 80 cases underwent simple drug-coated balloon expansion (group B). The characteristics of lesion, function test, ankle-brachial index (ABI), and postoperative complications were analyzed. All the patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after operation. At baseline, there was no difference in all the characteristics between the 2 groups. The early postoperation minimum lumen diameter (MLD), lumen stenosis rate, and ABI in 2 groups both improved. As the follow-up time increased, patients in group A had significantly higher MLD and ABL value, as well as lower level of lumen stenosis rate, restenosis rate, late lumen loss, and target lesion revascularization (all P < .05). Accordingly, functional testing revealed the 6-minute walk distance, 6-minute claudication distance, resting ABI, and post-exercise ABI in group A were significantly higher than those in group B (all P < .05). Besides, major graft reintervention (4.62% vs 11.25%) and major adverse limb events (6.15% vs 12.5%) in group A occurred less frequently than group B (all P < .05). In conclusion, the long-term effect of the combined approach was better than only drug-coated balloon in LEAD in Chinese diabetes patients.

Predictors of No-Reflow Phenomenon in Young Patients With Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

No-reflow is of prognostic value in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) but has not been extensively investigated in young patients. Young patients with STEMI admitted within 12 hours from symptom onset and treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) were recruited. Patients were classified into 2 groups based on postintervention thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade; no-reflow: TIMI flow grade 0, 1 or 2 (group 1; n = 27; 21 men, mean age: 42 ± 4 years); and angiographic success: TIMI flow grade 3 (group 2; n = 118; 110 men, mean age: 43 ± 4 years). Adjusted odds ratios were 13.79 for female gender ( P < .001; confidence interval [CI] = 1.88-101.26), 2.09 for pain to balloon time ( P < .017; CI = 1.14-3.812), 12.29 for high TIMI thrombus grade ( P = .012; CI = 1.74-86.94), 0.04 for tirofiban use ( P < .001; CI = 0.01-0.22), 5.19 for mean platelet volume (MPV; P < .001; CI = 2.44-11.01), and 1.008 for platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR; P = .034; CI = 1.001-1.016). In conclusion, female gender, pain to balloon time, high TIMI thrombus grade, tirofiban, MPV, and PLR were independent predictors of no-reflow in young patients with STEMI after pPCI.

Collateral Vessel Formation Causes Clinical Recovery From Limb Ischemia in a Mouse Model

Experimental models of recovery from limb ischemia are required for evaluating novel means of treating ischemia. We describe a mouse model to assess gait after inducing limb ischemia. Gait analysis was performed using a Plexiglass tube, the floor of which contained load cells. Gait was measured in 20 mice; 10 underwent ligation of the right hind limb artery and the other 10 underwent a sham operation. The gait of the animals was measured at 1, 2, and 4 weeks following the procedure. In sham-operated animals, the gait showed no measurable change. In the ligated animals, the ratio of the right fore-to-hind limb changed from 1.07 at baseline to 1.4 at day 0 (P = .001), 1.16 (P = .012 compared with control), and 1.04 (P = .37 compared with control) at weeks 2 and 4, respectively. Gait returned to normal within 4 weeks of induction of ischemia. This model may be helpful in testing potential novel therapies.