Prognostic Nutritional Index Predicts Contrast-Associated Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND

Contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) previously known as contrast-induced nephropathy is associated with a worse prognosis in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a simple index comprised of serum albumin level and lymphocyte count which reflects the immunonutritional-inflammatory status. Recently, clinical studies have shown associations between the PNI and clinical outcomes in several cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study was to assess the possible utilization of the PNI to predict the development of CA-AKI after primary PCI.

METHODS

We retrospectively included 836 patients (mean age 58 ± 12 years, 76% men) with STEMI treated with primary PCI. The PNI was calculated as 10 × serum albumin (g/dL) + 0.005 × total lymphocyte count (per mm³). The patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not CA-AKI developed.

RESULTS

The overall incidence of CA-AKI was 9.4%. Compared to the patients without CA-AKI, those with CA-AKI had a significantly lower PNI value (40.7 ± 3.7 vs. 35.2 ± 4.9; p < 0.001). In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the optimal cutoff value of the PNI to predict CA-AKI was 38, with 82% sensitivity and 70% specificity (area under the curve 0.836, p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, PNI < 38, body mass index and creatinine were independently associated with CA-AKI (odds ratio 11.275, 95% confidence interval 3.596-35.351; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The PNI was inversely and significantly associated with the development of CA-AKI in acute STEMI. Assessing PNI at admission may be useful for early risk stratification of STEMI patients.

Improved early risk stratification of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention using a combination of serum soluble ST2 and NT-proBNP

Background

Although soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) in serum is known to be associated with ischemic heart disease and heart failure, data regarding its prognostic impact in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is limited. We evaluated the prognostic impacts of serum sST2 and other serum biomarkers in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

Consecutive all 323 patients with STEMI that underwent primary PCI were enrolled. Blood tests and samples were obtained in an emergency room. The primary endpoint was 1-year major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal MI, non-fatal stroke, and ischemia-driven revascularization.

Results

Mean age was 59.1±13.1 years (men 84%). MACCE (20 cardiovascular deaths, 7 non-fatal MI, 4 non-fatal stroke, 7 ischemia-driven revascularizations) occurred in 38 patients (12%). After adjusting for confounding factors, Cox regression analysis revealed that high serum sST2 (>75.8 ng/mL mean value, adjusted hazard ratio 2.098, 95% CI 1.008–4.367, p = 0.048) and high serum NT-proBNP level (>400 pg/mL, adjusted hazard ratio 2.606, 95% CI 1.086–6.257, p = 0.032) at the time of presentation independently predicted MACCE within a year of primary PCI. Furthermore, when high serum sST2 level was combined with high serum NT-proBNP level, the hazard ratio of MACCE was highest (adjusted hazard ratio 7.93, 95% CI 2.97–20.38, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Elevated serum levels of sST2 or NT-proBNP at the time of presentation were found to predict 1-year MACCE independently and elevated serum levels of sST2 plus NT-proBNP were associated with even poorer prognosis in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI.

Current and novel approaches to treat patients presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction

INTRODUCTION

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) represents the gold-standard treatment for patients presenting with an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Acute myocardial infarction is a complex clinical scenario, and an appropriate therapeutic approach could be represented by a balanced integration between healthcare system and medical competence.

AREAS COVERED

In this review we discuss how a primary PCI network, and the new therapeutic options could be coupled in order to obtain improved clinical outcomes. The present report will focus on three main issues related to STEMI patients, namely, out of hospital management, primary PCI and pharmacological treatment. Expert commentary: A possible correct approach to a patient presenting a STEMI could be considered as a stepwise process, given by 5 steps: reducing the time to reperfusion; dual antiplatelet administration; radial access; new generation drug eluting stent implantation; long term management.

Serum transaminase determined in the emergency room predicts outcomes in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

Elevated serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferase (AST and ALT) are often observed in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and the condition is ascribed to liver hypoperfusion. We evaluated the prevalence and prognostic implication of hypoxic liver injury (HLI) in STEMI.

METHODS

Patients with STEMI and no preexisting liver disease who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were enrolled. A blood test was performed at the time of presentation and transthoracic echocardiography was performed after the index PCI. We reviewed medical records and contacted families of the patients by telephone to assess outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 456 patients (age 60 ± 13 years, 370 males), 31 patients (7%) died during follow-up (duration: 754 ± 540 days). Those patients were older (72 ± 10 vs. 59 ± 13 years), had higher AST (179 ± 224 vs. 64 ± 103 U/L), ALT (56 ± 79 vs. 35 ± 33 U/L), blood urea nitrogen (25 ± 15 vs. 17 ± 7 mg/dL), uric acid (6.9 ± 2.9 vs. 5.8 ± 1.6 mg/dL), creatine kinase-myocardial band isoenzyme (76 ± 104 vs. 41 ± 79 ng/mL), troponin I (19.9 ± 23.0 vs. 10.8 ± 19.1 ng/mL), and lower albumin (4.0 ± 0.5 vs. 4.2 ± 0.4 g/dL) at the time of presentation (p<0.05 for all). Particularly, AST independently predicted all-cause mortality (per 10 U/L increase, hazard ratio: 1.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.10, p=0.007), whereas cardiac markers did not. HLI (>2-fold elevation of AST or ALT upper normal limits) showed close correlation with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (β=-0.12, p=0.03) and patients with the condition (n=100 [20%]) had poorer survival than the others (Log-Rank, p=0.005).

CONCLUSION

The presence of HLI predicts mortality in patients with STEMI who undergo successful primary PCIs.

Clinical outcomes with drug-eluting and bare-metal stents in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: evidence from a comprehensive network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

The authors investigated the relative safety and efficacy of different drug-eluting stents (DES) and bare metal stents (BMS) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) using a network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND

The relative safety of DES and BMS in patients with STEMI continues to be debated, and whether advances have been made in this regard with second-generation DES is unknown.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials comparing currently U.S. approved DES or DES with BMS in patients with STEMI were searched using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. Information on study design, inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample characteristics, and clinical outcomes was extracted.

RESULTS

Twenty-two trials including 12,453 randomized patients were analyzed. At 1-year follow-up, cobalt-chromium everolimus eluting stents (CoCr-EES) were associated with significantly lower rates of cardiac death or myocardial infarction (MI) and stent thrombosis (ST) than BMS. Differences in ST were apparent as early as 30 days and were maintained for 2 years. CoCr-EES were also associated with significantly lower rates of 1-year ST than paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES). Sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) were also associated with significantly lower rates of 1-year cardiac death/myocardial infarction than BMS. CoCr-EES, PES, and SES, but not zotarolimus-eluting stents, had significantly lower rates of 1-year target vessel revascularization (TVR) than BMS, with SES also showing lower rates of TVR than PES.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with STEMI, steady improvements in outcomes have been realized with the evolution from BMS to first-generation and now second-generation DES, with the most favorable safety and efficacy profile thus far demonstrated with CoCr-EES.

Clinical outcomes in real-world patients with acute myocardial infarction receiving XIENCE V® everolimus-eluting stents: one-year results from the XIENCE V USA study

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of XIENCE V in acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

BACKGROUND

The XIENCE V(®) Everolimus-eluting coronary stent was superior to the TAXUS(®) paclitaxel-eluting stent in angiographic and clinical outcomes in the SPIRIT II, III, and IV randomized controlled trials, but patients with AMI were excluded.

METHODS

XIENCE V USA is a large, prospective, multicenter, real-world single-arm postmarket surveillance trial. Consecutive patients undergoing PCI with XIENCE V were enrolled. For this analysis, clinical outcomes in 673 patients presenting with AMI (STEMI, n = 125) were as compared to patients without AMI (n = 3528) at 1 year.

RESULTS

At 1 year, ARC-defined stent thrombosis (ST) rates were 1.08% in AMI vs. 0.85% in the non-AMI group (P = 0.4987). The late ST (30 days-1 year) rates were 0.31% vs. 0.47% (AMI vs. non-AMI, P = 0.7551). Rates of target lesion revascularization (TLR) were 4.1% vs. 4.6% (P = 0.6104), and rates of target lesion failure (TLF) were 9.1% vs. 8.5%, (P = 0.5964). With the historical WHO definition of MI, 1 year TLF rates were 7.0% vs. 6.7% (P = 0.8001). Improvements in quality of life, angina frequency, angina stability, and physical limitations occurred at 6 months (each P < 0.0001) and were sustained at 1 year in both groups. There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between STEMI and non-STEMI patients.

CONCLUSIONS

At 1 year, AMI patients treated with XIENCE V had low rates of ST, TLR, and TLF, similar to non-AMI patients. Marked improvements in patients' health status in this subgroup were also demonstrated.

Long-term outcome after statin treatment in routine clinical practice: results from a prospective PCI cohort study

AIMS

We aim to investigate the association between different types of statins, in particular simvastatin and atorvastatin, and long-term mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Between 2000 and 2005, a prospective cohort was constituted of 5,647 patients who underwent PCI. Type and doses of statin use were collected after the PCI procedure. Survival status was obtained from municipal civil registries. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Secondary endpoints were cardiac and cancer mortality. Median follow-up was 5.0 years (range three to nine years). During follow-up 738 patients (13.1%) died. In total, 4,970 patients (88%) were on statin therapy four weeks after PCI of whom the majority used either atorvastatin (34%) or simvastatin (29%). Cumulative survival rates at eight years in the atorvastatin group were 83%, and 79% in the simvastatin group (log-rank, p=0.004). After adjustment, statin use was associated with a 50% mortality reduction (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.40-0.59) and atorvastatin use was associated with lower total mortality than simvastatin use (adjusted HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61-0.97). This was largely driven by cancer mortality (adjusted HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.38-0.91).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients undergoing PCI the use of statins is associated with reduced mortality during prolonged follow-up. Patients using atorvastatin had a 23% lower mortality than those using simvastatin.

Expansion of the Multi-Link Frontier™ coronary bifurcation stent: micro-computed tomographic assessment in human autopsy and porcine heart samples

BACKGROUND

Treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions remains challenging, beyond the introduction of drug eluting stents. Dedicated stent systems are available to improve the technical approach to the treatment of these lesions. However dedicated stent systems have so far not reduced the incidence of stent restenosis. The aim of this study was to assess the expansion of the Multi-Link (ML) Frontier™ stent in human and porcine coronary arteries to provide the cardiologist with useful in-vitro information for stent implantation and selection.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Nine ML Frontier™ stents were implanted in seven human autopsy heart samples with known coronary artery disease and five ML Frontier™ stents were implanted in five porcine hearts. Proximal, distal and side branch diameters (PD, DD, SBD, respectively), corresponding opening areas (PA, DA, SBA) and the mean stent length (L) were assessed by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). PD and PA were significantly smaller in human autopsy heart samples than in porcine heart samples (3.54±0.47 mm vs. 4.04±0.22 mm, p = 0.048; 10.00±2.42 mm(2) vs. 12.84±1.38 mm(2), p = 0.034, respectively) and than those given by the manufacturer (3.54±0.47 mm vs. 4.03 mm, p = 0.014). L was smaller in human autopsy heart samples than in porcine heart samples, although data did not reach significance (16.66±1.30 mm vs. 17.30±0.51 mm, p = 0.32), and significantly smaller than that given by the manufacturer (16.66±1.30 mm vs. 18 mm, p = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Micro-CT is a feasible tool for exact surveying of dedicated stent systems and could make a contribution to the development of these devices. The proximal diameter and proximal area of the stent system were considerably smaller in human autopsy heart samples than in porcine heart samples and than those given by the manufacturer. Special consideration should be given to the stent deployment procedure (and to the follow-up) of dedicated stent systems, considering final intravascular ultrasound or optical coherence tomography to visualize (and if necessary optimize) stent expansion.