Comparison of abluminal biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stents and durable polymer everolimus-eluting stents in the treatment of coronary bifurcations.

OBJECTIVES: To compare biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting (BES) with abluminal drug elution and durable polymer everolimus-eluting (EES) stents in the treatment of bifurcation lesions. BACKGROUND: The persistence of a polymer in drug-eluting stents (DES) following drug elution has been viewed as a possible culprit for restenosis. DES with biodegradable polymer may thus be associated with improved clinical outcomes, especially in high-risk lesions such as those at bifurcation sites. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of consecutive de novo bifurcation lesions treated with EES between October 2006 and October 2011 and BES between February 2008 and March 2012. Study endpoints included major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), including peri-procedural MI, and target vessel revascularization (TVR) as well as target lesion revascularization (TLR) separately. RESULTS: We analyzed 236 bifurcation lesions treated with either BES (79 lesions in 69 patients) or EES (157 lesions in 154 patients). Patient and procedural characteristics were broadly similar between the two groups. Estimated MACE and TVR rates at 2-year follow-up were similar between the BES and EES groups (MACE = 13.6 ± 4.6% vs. 14.6 ± 3.2% (P = 0.871); TVR = 6.9 ± 3.5% vs. 8.0 ± 2.7% (P = 0.889). No significant differences were noted between the two groups following propensity-score matched analysis. There was no probable or definite stent thrombosis. CONCLUSION: BES use in the treatment of bifurcation lesions appears to be associated with good clinical outcomes, comparable to those seen with EES, at long-term follow-up. These results are hypothesis-generating and need to be validated with larger studies.

Results of percutaneous drug-eluting stent implantation for unprotected left main coronary disease according to left ventricular systolic function.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to appraise the early and long-term outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with unprotected left main disease (ULM) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVD). BACKGROUND: PCI with DES has being performed with increasing frequency in subjects with ULM and LVD, but few specific data are available. SETTING AND PATIENTS: We identified patients undergoing PCI with DES for ULM at our Center and distinguished those with ejection fraction (EF) >50% from those with 40% 50%, 32.0% with 40% 50%, 41.6% in those with 40%

Early and long-term results of percutaneous coronary intervention for unprotected left main trifurcation disease.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to conduct a retrospective cohort study focusing on our 5-year experience in the percutaneous treatment of unprotected left main (ULM) trifurcation disease. BACKGROUND: Percutaneous treatment of ULM trifurcation remains a challenging and rare procedure for most interventional cardiologists. Moreover, data on long-term outcomes are lacking. METHODS: We retrieved all patients with ULM trifurcation disease treated percutaneously at our Institution since 2002, and adjudicated baseline, procedural, and outcome data. The primary end point was the long-term rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE, i.e., cardiac death, myocardial infarction, bypass surgery, or target vessel revascularization). RESULTS: A total of 27 patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with stent implantation for ULM trifurcation disease, with 14 (52%) cases of true trifurcations, i.e., with concomitant significant stenoses of the distal ULM/ostial left anterior descending plus ostial ramus intermedius and ostial circumflex. Bare-metal stents were implanted in 8 (29%) patients and drug-eluting stents (DES) in 26 (96%), with a main branch stent only strategy in 11 (40%), T stenting in 9 (33%), and V stenting in 6 (27%). Procedural and clinical success occurred in 26 (96%), with one postprocedural death. Angiographic follow-up was obtained in 22 patients (81%), and clinical follow-up was completed in all subjects after a median of 28 +/- 17 months, showing overall MACE in 9 (33%), with cardiac death in 4 (15%), myocardial infarction in 1 (4%), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in 4 (15%), and percutaneous target vessel revascularization in 5 (19%). Definite stent thrombosis was adjudicated in 1 (3%) patient. Treatment of a true trifurcation lesion and recurrence of angina during follow-up were significantly associated with an increased risk of MACE (P = 0.029 and P = 0.050, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous treatment of ULM trifurcation disease is feasible, associated with favorable mid-term results, and may be considered given its low invasiveness in patients at high surgical risk or with multiple comorbidities.

Homing of annexin-labeled stem cells to apoptotic cells.

Ischemic diseases are characterized by the presence of pro-apoptotic stimuli, which initiate a cascade of processes that lead to cell injury and death. Several molecules and events represent detectable indicators of the different stages of apoptosis. Among these indicators is phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation from the inner to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, which can be detected by annexinV (ANXA5) conjugation. This is a widely used in vivo and in vitro assay marking the early stages of apoptosis. We report here on an original method that employs PS-ANXA5 conjugation to target stem cells to apoptotic cells. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from GFP-positive transgenic rats were biotinylated on membrane surfaces with sulfosuccinimidyl-6-(biotinamido) hexanoate (sulfo-NHS-LC-biot) and then bound to avidin. The avidin-biotinylated MSCs were labeled with biotin conjugated ANXA5. Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAE-1 cells) were exposed to UVC to induce caspasedependent apoptosis. Finally, we tested the ability of ANXA5-labeled MSCs to bind BAE-1 apoptotic cells: suspended ANXA5-labeled MSCs were seeded for 1 hour on a monolayer of UV-treated or control BAE-1 cells. After washing, the number of MSCs bound to BAE-1 cells was evaluated by confocal microscopy. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the number of MSCs tagged to apoptotic BAE-1 cells. Therefore, stem cell ANXA5 tagging via biotin-avidin bridges could be a straightforward method of improving homing to apoptotic tissues.

Long-term clinical and angiographic outcomes of treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis with sirolimus-eluting stents.

Favorable early results of percutaneous drug-eluting stents in unprotected left main (LM) disease are available, but outcome data beyond 6 to 10 months are lacking. We evaluated the long-term results of sirolimus-eluting stents (SESs) in patients with LM disease. From November 2002 to December 2004, consecutive patients with LM disease, without contraindications to double antiplatelet therapy and undergoing SES implantation, were enrolled prospectively. The primary end point of the study was occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events. In total 85 patients were treated with 118 SES and followed for 595 +/- 230 days. Event-free survival rates at 1 year and 2 years were 85.5% and 78.6%, respectively. Only 2 deaths occurred overall (2.4%), the first in-hospital in a very high-risk patient according to the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation and the second in a patient with severe systolic dysfunction already at the index procedure). Myocardial infarction was adjudicated in 3 patients (3.6%), 2 occurring periprocedurally and 1 during follow-up for a de novo nontarget lesion. There were 7 (10.8%) target lesion revascularizations at 24 months, with all but 1 percutaneous and in a subject with bifurcation LM disease at baseline. At 9-month angiography, late loss was 0.15 +/- 0.81 mm and restenosis rate was 8.2%. An increased incidence of adverse events was noted in patients undergoing SES after dilation with extremely oversized balloons. No case of stent thrombosis was reported. In conclusion, this single-center experience suggests that percutaneous use of SESs to treat LM disease in unselected high-risk patients is safe and effective even 1 year after implantation.

Acute and long term results of unprotected left main stenting using drug eluting stents.

BACKGROUND: Most available data indicates that stenting for unprotected left main coronary artery disease (ULMCA) with drug-eluting stents (DES) is safe and effective. At present, surgery is considered the gold standard for optimal revascularization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immediate and long term outcome of patients with ULMCA stenosis who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with DES implantation in a single center. METHODS: Coronary stents were implanted into ULMCA in 72 patients. Patients with a de novo ≥ 50% diameter stenosis, or ≤ 4.0 mm(2) on intravascular ultrasound measurement of left main coronary artery were treated using 1.6 ± 1.2 DES per patient. ULM stenting was performed when coronary artery bypass grafting was considered at high surgical risk (mean EuroSCORE 7.1) and/or surgery was refused despite their physician's recommendation. Patients enrolled in the study underwent clinical evaluation one, six and 12 months after the procedure, and then annually. Coronary angiography was routinely performed at nine to 12 months from the index procedure and/or was clinically driven at any time. Acute and long term main adverse cardiac events (MACE) were assessed: cardiac death, myocardial infarction and additional target lesion or non-target lesion revascularization (TLR). RESULTS: Angiographic and clinical success of PCI was 100%. Complete revascularization was performed in all patients. Mean follow-up duration was 2.5 years ± 10 months with 3% mortality in the first 12 months and total MACEs in 30.6%. During follow-up, death occurred in four (5.5%) patients. Angiographic follow-up was performed in 59 (82%) patients and TLR occurred in 18.05% of treated lesions. One possible stent thrombosis was documented. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the high surgical risk present in most of our patients, ULM stenting is feasible and safe with excellent immediate and mid-term results. Long term results seem to be encouraging, showing limited mortality and the total absence of definite or probable thrombosis.