Predictive value of C-reactive protein after drug-eluting stent implantation

Incidence and risk factors of in-stent restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients from southern China

Background

In-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a challenge for coronary artery disease (CAD) patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stents, and risk factors for ISR are controversial. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of ISR in patients from southern China.

Methods

In this retrospective study, patients diagnosed as acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and underwent successful PCI with drug-eluting stent (DES) and conducted a follow-up coronary angiography in Center for Cardiovascular Diseases of Meizhou People’s Hospital at the period of January 1st, 2016 to January 1st, 2021 were included for analysis. The clinical and angiographic factors were compared between patients in ISR ( +) and ISR (−) groups. The association between variables and ISR was evaluated by multivariate logistic regression model.

Result

A total of 341 ACS patients who had been installed at least 1 stent were included in this study. The follow-up time was 34.2 ± 17.2 months. During the follow-up period, 62 (18.2%) patients experienced ISR, and the average time for ISR was 32.8 months; the incidence of ISR for left main coronary artery, left anterior descending coronary artery, left circumflex artery coronary artery and right coronary artery were 6.7%, 20.9%, 19.4% and 14.4%, respectively; left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), stent number, stent type, statin therapy, antiplatelet therapy were significantly different between patients in ISR ( +) and ISR (−) group. Multivariate logistic analysis suggested that LVEF and stent number were significantly correlated with ISR.

Conclusion

Our study revealed the incidence and risk factors of ISR in patients from southern China. Our data suggested that LVEF and stent number were independent risk factors associated with ISR.

Elevated Serum Levels of Alkaline Phosphatase and the Risk of Low Responsiveness to Clopidogrel

The elevated serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) serve as independent predictors of stent thrombosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Our study aims at investigating the relationship between the serum ALP and the responsiveness to clopidogrel. Patients undergoing elective PCI were enrolled for the study, and all participants received a 300-mg clopidogrel loading dose. The responsiveness to clopidogrel was determined by thromboelastography (TEG), and low responsiveness to clopidogrel was defined based on two aspects: (1) adenosine diphosphate (ADP) -induced platelet-fibrin clot strength (MA_ADP) of > 47 mm and (2) ADP-induced platelet inhibition rate of < 50%. A logistic regression model analysis was used to calculate the risks of responsiveness to clopidogrel as odd ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Overall, 809 patients were considered for the study. They were divided into four quartile groups based on the serum ALP levels. A positive linear trend was observed in MA_ADP across the ALP quartiles (P for linear trend < 0.001), whereas ADP-induced platelet inhibition rate decreased across the ALP quartiles (P for linear trend = 0.007). When multiple confounders were adjusted, the highest ALP quartile correlated with an increased risk of low responsiveness to clopidogrel compared to the lowest ALP quartile (OR, 1.423; 95% CI, 1.017-1.991; P = 0.039). In the sensitivity analysis, the association remained significant for different definitions of low responsiveness to clopidogrel. The elevated serum levels of ALP are independently associated with an increased risk of low responsiveness to clopidogrel.

Genetic determined low response to thienopyridines is associated with higher systemic inflammation in smokers

AIM

To investigate whether the interactions of CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*17 with smoking are associated with the levels of P2Y12 receptor inhibition and CRP, in on-thienopyridine post-stenting patients.

METHODS & RESULTS

At 1-month follow-up, the interactions of smoking and CYP2C19 polymorphisms on the vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein - platelet reactivity index (VASP PRI), and CRP were explored in three metabolizing groups (1128 patients) as follow: poor metabolizers (*2 carriers/*17 noncarriers); intermediate metabolizers (*2 carriers/*17 carriers or *2 noncarriers/*17 noncarriers); and ultrarapidmetabolizers (*2 allele noncarriers/*17 carriers). The interactions of metabolizing status and smoking was significant for CRP (p = 0.001) but not for VASP PRI (p = 0.734).

CONCLUSION

Interaction between CYP2C19 polymorphisms and smoking modifies on-treatment CRP level of post-stenting, on-thienopyridine patients. This effect seems to be independent to the level of P2Y12 receptor inhibition.

The evolving role of inflammatory biomarkers in risk assessment after stent implantation

The main adverse reactions to coronary stents are in-stent restenosis (ISR) and stent thrombosis. Along with procedural factors, individual susceptibility to these events plays an important role. In particular, inflammatory status, as assessed by C-reactive protein levels, predicts the risk of ISR after bare-metal stent implantation, although it does not predict the risk of stent thrombosis. Conversely, C-reactive protein levels fail to predict the risk of ISR after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation, although they appear to predict the risk of stent thrombosis. Of note, DES have abated ISR rates occurring in the classical 1-year window, but new concern is emerging regarding late restenosis and thrombosis. The pathogenesis of these late events seems to be related to delayed healing and allergic reactions to polymers, a process in which eosinophils seem to play an important role by enhancing restenosis and thrombosis. The identification of high-risk individuals based on biomarker assessment may be important for the management of patients receiving stent implantation. In this report, we review the evolving role of inflammatory biomarkers in predicting the risk of ISR and stent thrombosis.