Coronary artery disease in heart transplant recipients - diagnosis and treatment. Single centre experience based on results of elective coronary angiography

BACKGROUND: Despite recent progress in clinical transplantology, coronary artery disease of transplanted heart (TxCAD) remains the main cause of long-term mortality. The role of elective coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in these patients has not yet been well established. AIM: To evaluate the incidence of TxCAD based on the results of elective CAG and to assess the role of potential risk factors and treatment options. METHODS: We analysed the results of 227 elective CAG procedures performed in 145 patients after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) between 1986 and 1998. The result of CAG was considered positive when any lesion was found in coronary arteries regardless of its hemodynamic relevance, including both atherosclerotic plaques and lesions characteristic of vasculopathy. The influence of immunological (rejection of transplanted heart) and non-immunological risk factors on the development of TxCAD was analysed separately for the first 3 years after OHT and for the subsequent period. RESULTS: Positive result of at least one CAG was found in 54 (37%) patients. The overall percentage of positive CAG was 41%, starting from 18% one year after OHT to 55% five years after surgery. Vasculopathic lesions were found in 14% of CAG procedures. Risk factor analysis showed an increasing impact over time of non-immunological factors, however, differences were not statistically significant. Hemodynamically significant lesions were found in 21 patients. In 16 of those PCI was performed. Control CAG was done in 12 patients after PCI revealing indications for another PCI in 8 of them. TxCAD was the cause of death in 3 patients in the PCI group. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of elective CAG, frequency of TxCAD increases with time and reaches 55% by 5 years after OHT. PCI is an effective method of treating significant coronary lesions after OHT.     

Long-term outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention of left main coronary artery for treatment of cardiac allograft vasculopathy after orthotopic heart transplantation

The present study evaluated the safety and efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) for the treatment of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) in consecutive unselected patients with orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). PCI in patients with OHT and develop CAV has been associated with greater restenosis rates compared to PCI in patients with native coronary artery disease. A paucity of short- and long-term data is available from patients with OHT who have undergone PCI for ULMCA disease. The present retrospective, multicenter, international registry included 21 patients with OHT and CAV who underwent ULMCA PCI from 1997 to 2009. Angiographic success was achieved in all patients. Drug-eluting stents were used in 14 of the 21 patients. No major adverse cardiac events or repeat OHT occurred within the first 30 days. At a mean follow-up of 4.9 ± 3.2 years, 3 patients (14%) had died, myocardial infarction had occurred in 1 patient (5%), and target lesion revascularization had been required in 4 patients (19%). Follow-up angiography was performed in 16 patients (76%), and restenosis was observed in 4 (19%). No stent thrombosis of the ULMCA was observed. One patient (5%) underwent coronary artery bypass grafting, and 5 patients (24%) underwent repeat OHT. In conclusion, the results of our study have shown ULMCA PCI to be safe and reasonably effective in patients with OHT and represents a viable treatment strategy for CAV in these patients.     

10例冠状动脉穿孔患者置入带膜支架后的长期随访研究

目的评价带膜支架治疗经皮冠状动脉介入治疗(percutaneous coronary intervention,PCI)术中发生冠状动脉穿孔患者的长期疗效。方法从2004年6月至2012年6月,本中心共对10例PCI中发生冠状动脉穿孔后置入带膜支架的患者进行了随访,观察其主要心脏不良事件(major adverse cardiac events,MACE)发生率。置入带膜支架术后服用氯吡格雷75mg/d共2年,长期服用肠溶阿司匹林100mg/d。结果 10例患者中男性6例,女性4例;年龄(68.6±5.2)岁,范围60～76岁。置入带膜支架直径平均(3.3±0.3)mm,长度平均(22.1±3.7)mm,所有患者破口均被成功封闭,术中无死亡病例。随访时间(31.7±24.5)个月,范围0.6～67个月,1例术后19天因肺部感染导致多器官功能衰竭而死亡,1例术后13个月猝死;1例患者术后53个月出现心绞痛;1例术后6个月查多层CT示支架内无再狭窄;4例患者复查冠状动脉造影,只有1例患者在PCI术后67个月复查冠状动脉造影示左前降支(LAD)带膜支架内再狭窄;另3例病例带膜支架内均无再狭窄。住院期间死亡率为10%(1/10);PCI术后12个月,MACE发生率为10%(1/10);在整个随访期间靶血管再狭窄率为20%(1/5),死亡率为20%(2/10),MACE发生率为40%(4/10)。结论带膜支架治疗冠状动脉穿孔能达到较好的长期疗效,两年的双联抗血小板药物可能能有效预防带膜支架内血栓形成。     

门控核素心肌灌注显像判断冠状动脉支架再狭窄的价值

目的:探讨门控核素心肌灌注显像(G-MPI)对冠状动脉(冠脉)支架再狭窄的诊断价值.方法:65例冠脉支架术后3个月以上的患者行两日法负荷/静息99Tcm-甲氧基异丁基异腈(MIBI) G-MPI,所有患者的G-MPI与冠脉造影(CAG)均在同期的1个月内完成,其中先做CAG检查的患者未进行再次血运重建术.以CAG为标准,分析G-MPI诊断冠脉支架再狭窄的价值.结果:65例患者的88支冠脉共置入105枚支架,随访CAG发现38.5%(25/65)的患者出现支架再狭窄,发生再狭窄的支架数为29.5%(31/105);根据典型症状诊断支架再狭窄的敏感性、特异性和准确性分别为64.0%、22.5%、38.5%;心电图运动平板试验(ETT)诊断支架再狭窄的敏感性、特异性、准确性分别为41.2%、71.9%、61.2%;G-MPI诊断支架再狭窄的敏感性、特异性、准确性分别为92.9%、86.7%、88 6%,其准确性明显优于ETT(χ2=14.173,P<0.001)和症状(χ2=42.781,P<0.001).结论:G-MPI诊断冠脉支架术后再狭窄具有良好的价值.     

Incidence,Technical Safety,and Feasibility of Coronary Angiography and Intervention Following Self-expanding Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

BackgroundTranscatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a well-established treatment option for severe aortic stenosis (AS). AS and coronary artery disease frequently coincide, and therefore some patients may require coronary angiography (CAG) and/or intervention (PCI) post-TAVR. Due to valve stent design, most self-expanding prostheses always cover the coronary ostium, and therefore may hinder future access. The objective of this research was to evaluate the incidence, safety and feasibility of CAG/PCI in patients with prior self-expanding TAVR valves.MethodsAmong 2170 patients (age 82 ± 6 years, 43% male) who underwent TAVR with Corevalve or Evolut prostheses, as part of the Italian CoreValve ClinicalService® framework (data from 13 Italian centers), the occurrence of CAG/PCI following TAVR and periprocedural characteristics were examined.ResultsDuring median follow-up of 379 days, 41 patients (1.9%) required CAG and/or PCI (total 46; 16 CAG, 14 PCI, 16 both PCI/CAG). 56.5% of the procedures were performed under emergency/urgency settings. Left system coronary angiography was successfully performed in most cases (28/32, 87.5%), while right coronary angiography was successful only in 50.0% (16/32). PCI procedures (20 for left system, 3 for right system, 4 for graft) were successfully performed in 93.3% (28/30) of the procedures. No CAG/PCI procedure-related complications including prosthesis dislodgment or coronary ostium dissection occurred.ConclusionsCAG and PCI procedures following CoreValve TAVR is safe and mostly feasible, although the success rate of selective right coronary angiography was relatively low when compared to the left system. Further investigations are required to explore this issue.     

Usefulness of stress myocardial perfusion imaging for evaluating asymptomatic patients after coronary stent implantation.

BACKGROUND: Stent implantation in coronary angioplasty has reduced the rate of restenosis, but many patients still undergo follow-up coronary angiography (CAG). The present study was a multi-center retrospective analysis of the usefulness of stress single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) compared with follow-up CAG in stent-implanted patients who remained asymptomatic during the follow-up period. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study group of 103 patients underwent both SPECT and CAG at 4-9 months after stent implantation. Restenosis occurred in 20 (19%) of 106 vessel territories, and a reversible perfusion defect was found in 32 (30%) territories. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of SPECT were 65%, 78%, 41%, 91%, and 76%, respectively. The accuracy was lower in territories with a prior myocardial infarction (71%), in the left circumflex artery (58%), and in cases with three-vessel disease (63%). The negative predictive value was high, but 7 false negative cases included 4 cases with prior myocardial infarction, and 2 cases with reversible defects in other vessel territories. CONCLUSIONS: Stress SPECT imaging is a useful tool for following up patients with coronary stent implantation, and follow-up CAG could be omitted in patients with negative SPECT imaging, no prior myocardial infarction, one- or two-vessel disease, and sufficient stress loading.     

Assessment of coronary intervention in Japan from the Japanese Coronary Intervention Study (JCIS) Group.

BACKGROUND: The first nationwide survey of the situation in Japan (the 1997 SJ) regarding percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was conducted by the Japanese Coronary Intervention Study (JCIS) group and the results of the second nationwide, continuous survey of Japan in 2000 (the 2000 SJ) are presented here. METHODS & PROCEDURES: A questionnaire was collected from 8,268 facilities (99.93%). In the 2000 SJ, the total number of coronary arteriography (CAG) performed was 543,046 (428 CAGs per 105 population). The estimated ratio of CAG to patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) in Japan is approximately 1.4-fold that in the US. Total numbers of PCI and CABG performed were 146,992 and 23,584, and increased to 134% and 130%, respectively, over the 3 years. PCI facilities with an annual number of PCIs performed of more than 100 were 40.2%, and the respective CABG facilities were 8.3%. The ratio of PCI to CABG was 6.23 in the 2000 SJ, and was several times higher than the ratio in Western countries. CONCLUSION: The situation in Japan regarding the number of CAG, PCI, and CABG procedures performed is very different from that in Western countries. This provides important information for diagnosis, treatment and guidelines for Japanese patients with CAD.     

Long-term outcomes of percutaneous coronary interventions with stent implantation in patients ≤40 years old

Data on the long-term prognosis of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in young patients are limited. The aim of the present study was to report the immediate and long-term clinical outcomes in a consecutive series of young patients with premature coronary artery disease who underwent PCI with stent implantation. During the study period (2005 to 2010), 214 consecutive patients aged ≤40 years who had undergone PCI with a bare metal stent or drug-eluting stent implantation were retrospectively selected and analyzed. Primary end point of this study was the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events at short- and long-term follow-up. Mean age was 36.3 ± 3.5 years and 88.3% of patients were men. Three-quarters were active smokers and all patients had ≥1 conventional cardiovascular risk factor. The total number of implanted stents was 272 (154 bare metal stent and 118 drug-eluting stent). During the hospital stay, no patient died, and the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events was 2.3%. No additional events had occurred at 30 days of follow-up. At a median follow-up of 757 days (interquartile range 365 to 1,818), the overall death rate was 0.9%, and a new revascularization procedure was needed in 12.6% of patients. The major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular event-free survival rate at the median follow-up point and 1,818 days was 89.6% and 84.2%, respectively. Active smoking and left ventricular ejection fraction <50% were independent predictors of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events. In conclusion, PCI in young patients lead to excellent results in short- and long-term follow-up and should be considered as the treatment of choice. Traditional risk factors are important prognostic determinants of adverse events and might help identify higher risk patients within this cohort.     

老年慢性肾功能不全患者冠状动脉内药物洗脱支架术远期疗效

目的观察>65岁慢性肾功能不全患者行冠状动脉内药物洗脱支架术的远期疗效。方法将585例年龄> 65岁行冠状动脉介入治疗(PCI)的患者,根据肌酐清除率分为慢性肾功能不全组(355例)和对照组(230例),前者又分药物脱支架组和普通金属支架组,记录各例患者住院期一般资料、冠状动脉造影和PCI情况及随访期所有原因死亡、中风和主要心脏不良事件。比较药物洗脱支架和普通金属支架对慢性肾功能不全组患者的临床疗效。结果与对照组比较,慢性肾功能不全组患者年龄增大,体重减轻,女性、吸烟和不稳定性心绞痛较多。平均随访17个月,慢性肾功能不全组较对照组所有原因病死率(8．17％和3．48％,P<0．05)和心源性病死率(6．48％和2．17％, P<0．05)显著增高,但主要心脏不良事件(13．80％和10．86％,P>0．05)及靶血管再次血运重建率(5．63％和6．08％,P>0．05)无显著差异。慢性肾功能不全组中,药物洗脱支架组(224例)较普通金属支架组(131例)主要心脏不良事件发生率(8．92％和19．84％,P<0．05)和靶血管再次血运重建率(3．12％和9．92％,P<0．05)显著减少,但心源性死亡(4．91％和8．39％,P>0．05)和所有原因死亡(6．25％和11．45％,P>0．05)发生率无显著性差异。结论年慢性肾功能不全患者行PCI术后死亡率增加;与普通金属支架比较,药物洗脱支架可以显著降低靶血管再次血运重建和主要心脏不良事件发生率,但对心源性死亡和所有原因死亡无明显影响。     

合并结缔组织病的冠心病患者冠状动脉病变特点及冠状动脉介入治疗术预后分析

目的探讨合并结缔组织病(CTD)的冠状动脉性心脏病(CAD)患者的冠状动脉病变特点,以及接受经皮冠状动脉介入治疗术(PCI)的长期预后。方法收集106例自2009年1月至2012年12月在北京友谊医院接受PCI治疗CTD患者的临床资料,回顾性分析CTD患者的临床表现和冠状动脉病变特点等,并对CTD患者进行长期随访。结果 106例患者中有92例(86.8%)具有≥1个传统冠心病危险因素。78例(73.6%)的患者冠状动脉为多支血管病变,以前降支受累为主(65.1%)。共植入5枚金属裸支架和202枚药物涂层支架。对CTD患者进行了平均时间长达3年的随访,期间共发生主要不良心血管事件(MACE)24例(22.6%),其中心源性死亡13例(12.3%)、支架内血栓形成(ST)10例(9.4%)、靶血管再次血运重建(TVR)15例(14.2%)。结论合并CTD的CAD患者冠状动脉病变以多支病变为主。此类患者接受PCI术后不良事件以ST及TVR多见。     

Different therapeutic proportion of patients undergone coronary angiography in the era of development in MSCT

Objective To study the different therapeutic proportion of the patient populations undergone coronary angiography (CAG) in the era of development in multislice spiral computed tomography(MSCT).Methods Two hundred and fifty four consecutive patients(mean age 59.24±10.65),who underwent CAG at Daxing Hospital from February 2007 through October 2007,were enrolled,160 patients were male and 94 were female.By evaluating from the coronary angiogram,the patients were not diagnosed to have coronary heart disease(CHD) with less than 50% diameter stenosis of coronary artery;the patients to have CHD with more than or equal to 50% stenosis of coronary artery;the patients were performed the procedure of percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) with more than or equal to 70% stenosis;the patients were proposed to have coronary aortic bypass graft(CABG) surgery with left main coronary artery lesions or diffuse triple coronary artery lesions.Results In the 254 consecutive patients,59 patients(23.2%) had not been diagnosed to have CHD;195(76.8%)to have CHD,of these patients with CHD,49 patients(19.3%)were not indicated for PCI (including the patients receiving follow-up coronary angiography after stenting),81(31.9%)had been performed the procedure of stent implantation,57(22.4%)proposed to have CABG,8(3.1%)the procedure of PCI had not been successful,or had not been performed because of patients opposing to this therapy.Conclusion Multislice spiral computed tomography can be applied as a non-invasive screening tool to exclude the presence of CHD,to increase the positive proportion of the populations with CHD in all patients receiving coronary angiograhpy,to avoid the use of CAG in a subset of patients.     

增强型体外反搏对冠心病患者巨噬细胞移动抑制因子和P-选择素水平的影响

目的探讨增强型体外反搏（EECP）对冠心病患者巨噬细胞移动抑制因子（MIF）和P-选择素水平的影响。方法229例经冠脉造影术证实有药物洗脱支架置入指征的冠心病患者,依照其意愿分为支架组和非支架组;两组再分别随机分为EECP亚组和非EECP亚组。两个EECP亚组于术后1周开始进行EECP（每日治疗1h,每周5次,持续7周）。分别于术前,术后1h、1周和9周时测定血浆MIF和P-选择素水平。结果①支架组：MIF和P-选择素水平在支架术后1h较术前显著升高（P〈0．01）,术后1周时降至术前水平,而在术后9周时则降至最低（与术前比较P〈0．05）。术后9周时EECP亚组MIF和P-选择素的降低幅度明显大于非EECP亚组（P〈0．05）。②非支架组：术后1h、1周时MIF和P-选择素水平与术前比较均无变化。术后9周时,两个亚组的MIF和P-选择素水平均明显降低（与术前比较P〈0．05）,EECP亚组MIF和P-选择素的降低幅度明显大于非EECP亚组（P〈0．05）。③术后9周时,支架组的EECP亚组与非支架组的EECP亚组之间MIF和P-选择素水平比较差异均无统计学意义。结论EECP可显著降低冠心病患者MIF和P-选择素水平,对接受冠脉药物洗脱支架术的患者疗效等同。     

C-reactive protein and myocardial infarction during percutaneous coronary intervention

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic information of preprocedural C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in serum to predict myocardial infarction during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 400 consecutive patients with normal serum troponin T levels (0.05 microg L-1. RESULTS: Eighty-three patients (21%) experienced a myocardial infarction during PCI. The median value of CRP before the procedure was 1.83 (0.12-99.7) mg L-1. No difference was seen in CRP levels before PCI between patients without or with myocardial infarction during PCI. Multivariate analysis identified stent implantation (OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.18-7.28, P = 0.03), procedure time (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.28-3.67, P < 0.005) and complications during the procedure (OR 3.62, 95% CI 1.72-7.58, P < 0.001) as independent predictors of myocardial infarction during PCI. CONCLUSION: Increased CRP levels in serum before PCI were not associated with myocardial infarction during the procedure. Furthermore, patients with an expected long procedure and a high probability of stent implantation have an increased risk of developing myocardial infarction during PCI. This finding may be useful to help the operator to decide the antithrombotic regime before, during and after the procedure and the need for observation after the procedure.     

Management of multivessel coronary disease after ST elevation myocardial infarction treated by primary angioplasty

BACKGROUND: Optimal treatment strategy of patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing primary angioplasty is still unclear. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of non-culprit vessels simultaneously or soon after primary angioplasty is feasible and safe, but available data failed to consistently show a benefit in long-term clinical outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively compared in-hospital and long-term outcomes for patients with STEMI and multivessel CAD treated by primary angioplasty with (Group 1, n=64) or without (Group 2, n=46) early, staged PCI of other angiographically significant coronary lesions. In-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were defined as a composite of death, periprocedural myocardial infarction after staged, elective PCI, stroke, stent thrombosis, major bleeding, and vascular complications. MACE at follow-up were defined as a composite of death, stroke, stent thrombosis, any coronary revascularization, and re-hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome. RESULTS: Group 1 patients underwent staged PCI 5.9 +/- 3.5 days after primary angioplasty. The mean length of follow-up was 13 months (392 +/- 236 days). The incidence of in-hospital MACE was 20.3% in Group 1 and 10.8% in Group 2 (P=0.186); the incidence of out of hospital MACE was 9.3% in Group 1 and 23.9% in Group 2 (P=0.037). In Group 1 in-hospital MACE were driven by periprocedural myocardial infarction after the elective procedure, which occurred in 15.6% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that multivessel, staged PCI in STEMI patients is associated with a low incidence of adverse events at follow-up but with a higher incidence of in-hospital MACE, mainly driven by periprocedural myocardial infarction during the elective procedure.     

Percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusions: the Thoraxcenter experience 1992-2002.

AIMS: Chronic total occlusions (CTOs) are commonly found on diagnostic angiography, and there is some evidence from one study that successful percutaneous revascularization leads to an improvement in long-term survival rates. However, this study included patients treated for unstable angina with short-duration occlusion, and stent implantation was utilized in only 7%. We re-evaluated the long-term outcomes of a large consecutive series of patients with a CTO of >1-month duration treated at our centre, with stent implantation utilized in the majority. METHODS AND RESULTS: All patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between 1992 and 2002 were retrospectively identified from a dedicated database. A total of 874 consecutive patients were treated for 885 CTO lesions. Mean follow-up time was 4.47 +/- 2.69 years (median 4.10 years). Patients were evaluated for the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) comprising death, acute myocardial infarction, and need for repeat revascularization with either coronary artery bypass surgery or PCI. Successful revascularization was achieved in 576 lesions (65.1%), in which stent implantation was used in 81.0%. At 30 days, the overall MACE rate was significantly lower in those patients with a successful recanalization (5.5 vs. 14.8%, P < 0.00001). At 5 years, survival was significantly higher in those patients with a successful revascularization (93.5 vs. 88.0%, P = 0.02). In addition, there was a significantly higher survival free of MACE (63.7 vs. 41.7%, P < 0.0001), with the majority of events reflecting the need for repeat intervention. Independent predictors for survival were successful revascularization, lower age, and the absence of diabetes mellitus and multivessel disease. CONCLUSION: Successful percutaneous revascularization of a CTO leads to a significantly improved survival rate and a reduction in major adverse events at 5 years. Most events relate to the need for repeat reintervention, and the introduction of drug-eluting stents, with low-restenosis rates, encourages the development of technologies to improve recanalization success rates. However, failed recanalization may be associated acutely with an adverse event, and new technologies must focus on a safe approach to successful recanalization.     

Periprocedural and medium-term antithrombotic strategies in patients with an indication for long-term anticoagulation undergoing coronary angiography and intervention

OBJECTIVES: The optimal antithrombotic treatment for patients on long-term anticoagulation undergoing invasive coronary procedures is currently undefined. The strategies adopted periprocedurally and medium-term after coronary stenting (percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation) at our Institution, were reviewed, and the safety and efficacy of the various regimens evaluated. METHODS: All patients undergoing invasive coronary procedures between January 2002 and December 2004 were retrospectively identified. RESULTS: Out of 3709 patients overall, 104 (2.8%; 95% confidence interval 2.3-3.4) were on warfarin (because of atrial fibrillation in >50% of cases), whereas this was the case for 49 (3.1%; 95% confidence interval 2.3-4.1) of 1584 undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation. The antithrombotic strategies were highly variable, both periprocedurally (i.e. warfarin withdrawal or substitution by heparin, followed by aspirin with or without a thienopyridine) and medium-term after percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation (i.e. combination of warfarin and single or dual antiplatelet agents or pure dual antiplatelet treatment). Overall, periprocedural hemorrhages occurred in five patients (4.8%; 95% confidence interval 1.56-11.22). No thromboembolic events were observed, whereas one subacute stent thrombosis occurred (2%; 95% confidence interval 0.05-11) during warfarin and aspirin treatment. Among patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation, 1-month hemorrhagic rate was 10% (95% confidence interval, 3.3-23.8); most hemorrhages (major bleeds in three-quarters of cases) occurred during triple therapy with warfarin (or low-molecular-weight heparin), aspirin and a thienopyridine. CONCLUSIONS: At our Institution (where standardized protocols are currently not in use), periprocedural and medium-term antithrombotic treatment in patients on long-term anticoagulation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation showed substantial variability. As a result of the relevant 1-month complication rate, further properly sized and designed studies are warranted to identify the optimal strategies for this patient subset, which is foreseen to progressively increase over the next years.     

Effects on mortality of abciximab in ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention including stent implantation

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of abciximab on mortality in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) including stent implantation. DESIGN: Meta-analysis of three selected randomized studies and analysis of data from the Swedish Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty Registry (SCAAR). SUBJECTS: Pooled data from randomized studies containing in total 1,736 patients undergoing PCI with stent implantation because of STEMI with duration between symptom and treatment <12 h, and 7,436 patients from SCAAR treated with PCI because of STEMI (52% treated with abciximab) in Sweden 2000-2004. RESULTS: Analyses of pooled data showed that abciximab was associated with a decreased risk of reinfarction [odds ratio (OR) 0.38] and urgent target vessel revascularization (OR 0.38) at 30 days. No effect was seen on mortality at 30 days or 6 months. Multivariate analysis of data from SCAAR showed that abciximab reduced the risk of death during 14 months of follow-up (hazard ratio 0.82). CONCLUSIONS: The results are encouraging and support the ACC/AHA and ESC recommendation to use abciximab in treatment of STEMI with PCI including stent implantation. Considering that the pooled results from previous trials showed no effect of abciximab on mortality and the registry part of the present study was observational, the results encourage carrying out new randomized studies of abciximab in STEMI treated with PCI, including stent implantation, with sufficient size and length of follow-up.     

62例冠脉支架术后患者的64排螺旋CT与冠脉造影结果分析

目的探讨64排螺旋CT冠状动脉成像评价冠状动脉支架通畅性的临床应用价值。方法对62例冠状动脉支架置入术后患者的86枚支架行64排螺旋CT扫描，对照冠脉造影检查结果，评价64排螺旋CT在冠脉支架术后再狭窄的诊断价值。结果针对62例患者置入的86枚支架进行了以冠脉造影为“金标准”的诊断试验评价，无创冠状动脉造影（冠脉CTA）对冠脉支架内再狭窄的诊断的敏感度、特异度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值分别为88．9％、98．6％、66．7％和98．6％。结论冠脉CTA对冠脉支架内再狭窄患者有高的阴性预测值，可应用于冠脉支架术后随访。     

Coronary vessel diameters during and after primary percutaneous coronary artery intervention

Background

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (P-PCI) is the gold standard treatment for acute coronary syndromes. Plasma levels of catecholamines and other vasopressors are elevated during acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and coronary vasoconstriction is frequent. We aimed to compare the reference vessel diameter (RVD) of the infarct-related artery (IRA) during primary PCI and after an average of 3 days.

Methods

Coronary angiography (CAG) was performed on 58 patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and TIMI 3 flow after P-PCI (43 men, 15 women; mean age, 55.5?±?10 years). TIMI 3 flow was achieved either by simple balloon dilatation and/or thrombus aspiration. Lesion length, RVD, minimal lumen diameter (MLD), mean vessel diameter (meanD), and area of stenosis were compared during P-PCI and follow-up CAG.

Results

RVD, MLD, and meanD values were significantly higher during the follow-up CAG than after P-PCI (RVD 2.7?±?0.7 mm vs. 2.9?±?0.7 mm, p?=?0.001; MLD 1.5?±?0.5 mm vs. 1.7?±?0.4 mm, p?=?0.002; meanD 2.2?±?0.5 mm vs. 2.4?±?0.5 mm, p?=?0.001). Area of stenosis values were significantly lower during the follow-up CAG than after primary PCI (69.5?±?16.5?% vs. 62.1?±?15?%, p?=?0.001). Lesion lengths were not statistically significant during the follow-up CAG and primary PCI (lesion length 24.0?±?10.8 mm vs. 22.1?±?8.8 mm, p?>?0.05).

Conclusion

This study showed that RVD was higher at the follow-up CAG a few days after AMI in patients who had TIMI 3 flow after P-PCI with simple balloon dilatation and/or thrombus aspiration. A delay of a few days for stent implantation in P-PCI allows for larger-diameter stent use and may help to reduce stent thrombosis and restenosis rates.