Cardiac Catheterization versus Echocardiography for Monitoring Pulmonary Pressure: A Prospective Study in Patients with Connective Tissue Disease-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Standard echocardiography is important for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) screening in patients with connective tissue disease (CTD), but PAH diagnosis and monitoring require cardiac catheterization. Herein, using cardiac catheterization as reference, we tested the hypothesis that follow-up echocardiography is adequate for clinical decision-making in these patients. We prospectively studied 69 consecutive patients with CTD-associated PAH. Invasive baseline pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) was 60.19 ± 16.33 mmHg (mean ± SD) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was 6.44 ± 2.95WU. All patients underwent hemodynamic and echocardiographic follow-up after 9.47 ± 7.29 months; 27 patients had a third follow-up after 17.2 ± 7.4 months from baseline. We examined whether clinically meaningful hemodynamic deterioration of follow-up catheterization-derived PASP (i.e., > 10% increase) could be predicted by simultaneous echocardiography. Echocardiography predicted hemodynamic PASP deterioration with 59% sensitivity, 85% specificity, and 63/83% positive/negative predictive value, respectively. In multivariate analysis, successful echocardiographic prediction correlated only with higher PVR in previous catheterization (p = 0.05, OR = 1.235). Notably, in patients having baseline PVR > 5.45 WU, echocardiography had both sensitivity and positive predictive values of 73%, and both specificity and negative predictive value of 91% for detecting hemodynamic PASP deterioration. In selected patients with CTD-PAH echocardiography can predict PASP deterioration with high specificity and negative predictive value. Additional prospective studies are needed to confirm that better patient selection can increase the ability of standard echocardiography to replace repeat catheterization.

Timing and Outcomes of PCI in the TAVR Era.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become an established therapy for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS). As the number of patients referred for TAVR increases, so does the prevalence of untreated obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in the population under evaluation. Despite the high prevalence of CAD in patients treated with TAVR, the management strategy of concomitant CAD in these patients remains an area of considerable uncertainty. RECENT FINDINGS: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with CAD and severe AS has been shown to be feasible and safe. Whether revascularization before, during, or after TAVR is optimal remains a subject of debate. All three approaches represent valid strategies with advantages and disadvantages that need to be carefully weighed on an individual basis. Current expert opinions recommend that PCI should be performed before or at the time of TAVR as long as the risk of the procedure does not outweigh the potential benefits. The results of large clinical trials evaluating the optimal revascularization time are closely awaited.

Conduction abnormalities after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

In the last few years, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become an alternative procedure in patients with severe aortic stenosis and high risk for surgical aortic replacement. Due to the anatomic correlation between aortic valve structure and conduction system of the heart, one of the most common complications after TAVI is conduction system disturbances which including bundle branch block, complete heart block and need for permanent pacemaker implantation. Although these disturbances are usually not lethal, they may have a great influence on patients' state and long term-survival. Several risk factors for conduction disturbances have been identified which including age, anatomy of the heart, periprocedural factors, type of implanted valve, preexisting abnormalities and comorbidities. As this technique becomes more familiar to physicians, patients should be carefully screened for risk factors for the development of conduction abnormalities after TAVI in order to provide effective prevention and proper treatment.

Radiation Exposures Associated With Radial and Femoral Coronary Interventions.

OPINION STATEMENT: The volume of cardiac diagnostic procedures involving the use of ionizing radiation has increased rapidly in recent years, and the radiation exposure experienced by patients undergoing any medical imaging procedure has recently obtained a growing attention. Transradial (TR) access is being increasingly used worldwide for diagnostic coronary angiography (CA), and percutaneous coronary interventions, since it offers several benefits as compared to transfemoral (TF) access, such as by reducing hemostasis time and vascular complications, increased patient comfort, reduced hospital stay, and lower cost. In contrast, TR CA is thought to be associated with increased radiation exposure parameters compared with the traditional TF access. Although experienced operators may almost counterbalance this shortcoming, the increase in radiation exposure associated with TR approach seems not to be present in most clinical settings.

Cardiac Dual-source Computed Tomography for the Detection of Left Main Compression Syndrome in Patients with Pulmonary Hyper-tension.

INTRODUCTION: Left Main Compression Syndrome (LMCS) represents an entity described as the extrinsic compression of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) by a dilated pulmonary artery (PA) trunk. We examined the presence of LMCS in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) using dual-source computed tomography (DSCT), as a non-invasive diagnostic tool. METHODS: The following parameters were measured: PA trunk diameter (PAD), the distance between PAD and LMCA (LMPA) and the distance between PA and aorta (AoPA). These measurements were related with demographic, echocardiographic, hemodynamic and clinical parameters. Angiography was performed in two patients with LMCS suspected by cardiac computed tomographic angiography. Patients without PH but with angina were examined as controls, using DSCT cardiac angiography to assess the same measurements and to detect the prevalence of coronary artery disease. RESULTS: PA diameter value over 40.00 mm has been associated with PH and LMCS. Furthermore, LMCS did not occur at a distance smaller than 0.50 mm between the PA and the LMCA, and did not correlate with the distance between the PA and the aorta or with cardiac index and NT-proBNP. CONCLUSION: DSCT may represent the initial testing modality in PH patients with dilated PA trunk to exclude LMCS. A periodical rule-out of this rare entity, as assessed by DSCT, in patients with a severely dilated PA seems to be mandatory for PH patients contributing to survival improvement.

Management of Coronary Artery Disease and Conduction Abnormalities in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

OPINION STATEMENT: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an expanding, catheter-based technology that allows the implantation of a prosthetic valve without requiring open heart surgery for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis (AS). The frequency of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients (pts) with severe AS undergoing surgical treatment ranges from 30 to 50 %. This tends to be higher in pts undergoing TAVR with a prevalence of 49-76 % and is more prevalent with older age and the fact that TAVR is commonly performed in high-risk groups with more advanced cardiovascular disease. The overall influence of CAD on TAVR procedural outcomes remains controversial, and the management of concomitant artery disease is still under discussion. There are three major issues that must be addressed: the impact of CAD, optimal timing of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and TAVR, and extent of revascularization. Today, TAVR is commonly performed as a stand-alone procedure with variable degrees of concomitant CAD tolerated without intervention. One of the major potential complications with TAVR is the damage to the conduction system. The requirement of permanent pacemaker (PM) implantation ranges from 9 to 49 % of cases with a mean of ~20 %, whereas surgical aortic valve replacement (sAVR) is associated with a complete heart block that requires permanent PM in 3-12 % of cases. Reports have demonstrated an increased incidence of conduction damage in patients undergoing TAVR with the CoreValve (Medtronic Minneapolis, MN, USA) prosthesis (mean 20.8 %, range 9.3-30.0 %) compared with the Edwards SAPIEN (Edwards Lifesciences LLC; Irvine, CA, USA) prosthesis (mean 5.4 %, range 0-10.1 %). Factors predicting PM implantation include preexisting bundle branch block (BB) or conduction abnormalities. The prognostic significance of new left bundle branch block (LBBB) after TAVR is unclear. In the future, new valve designs may improve the incidence of permanent PM implantation after TAVR.

Permanent pacing after transcatheter aortic valve implantation of a CoreValve prosthesis as determined by electrocardiographic and electrophysiological predictors: a single-centre experience.

AIM: The most frequent conduction complications with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are complete atrioventricular (AV) block and new bundle branch block (BB). The purpose of this study was to assess clinical, electrocardiographic, and electrophysiological predictors of conduction abnormalities in patients (pts) undergoing TAVI with the CoreValve prosthesis. The secondary end points were the long-term rhythm follow-up and the recovery of conduction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-five consecutive pts with severe aortic stenosis, New York Heart Association II/III, and normal or slightly impaired left ventricular function who underwent CoreValve transcatheter implantation were randomized 2:1 to electrocardiographic and electrocardiographic plus electrophysiological evaluations. Pacemakers were implanted in pts with complete AV block. Follow-up was performed at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months. Conduction was affected in the total group of pts undergoing TAVI. The PR lengthened compared with the baseline but did not exceed the normal cut-off of 200 ms, and the QRS widened, basically due to new left bundle branch blocks (LBBBs). Within 1 month of follow-up, 10 pts (22%) developed complete AV block (9 peri-procedurally-20%) and 15 pts (33%) developed a new bundle BB, with LBBBs being the most common (14-31%). In the 30 pts who underwent an electrophysiological study, analysis showed that prolonged HV intervals were prognostic for pacemaker implantation. Follow-up in the total study group revealed that only 4 of the 10 (9%) initial implantations remained completely pacemaker dependent. CONCLUSION: Conduction was affected in all pts undergoing TAVI, but serious complications that required permanent pacing generally occurred in pts with pre-existing conduction abnormalities.

Genetic diversity of the KCNE1 gene and susceptibility to postoperative atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The human KCNE1 protein forms the ß-subunit of the IKs potassium channel and is important in the regulation of the atrial action potential duration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the nonsynonymous 112G>A mutation of the KCNE1 gene and postcardiac surgery atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: A cohort of patients scheduled for cardiac surgery was prospectively recruited. The genotype of 112G>A polymorphism was determined using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment analysis and confirmed with direct sequencing of the polymerase chain reaction product. In total, 509 patients were recruited in the study, of whom 203 (39.9%) had at least 1 qualifying episode of postoperative AF. An increased frequency of the G allele was observed in the postoperative AF group compared with the group without postoperative AF (0.628 vs 0.552, respectively, P = .016). The individual's relative risk of postoperative AF increased as the number of G alleles increased from 1.36 (95% CI 0.89-2.08) for G allele heterozygotes to 1.62 (95% CI 1.08-2.43) for G allele homozygotes (P = .04 for trend). The multivariate analysis revealed the abnormal ejection fraction (odds ratio [OR] 1.585, 95% CI 1.076-2.331, P = .020), age (OR 1.043, 95% CI 1.022-1.064, P < .001), type of surgery (aortic valve replacement) (OR 1.869, 95% CI 1.094-3.194, P = .022), and the 112G>A genotype (OR 1.401 [in additive model], 95% CI 1.052-1.865, P = .021) to be independent predictors of postoperative AF. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the association of the 112G>A polymorphism and postoperative AF in a cohort of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Prevalence and outcomes of intermediate saphenous vein graft lesions: findings from the stenting of saphenous vein grafts randomized-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: We sought to examine the prevalence and progression rate of intermediate saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions in the Stenting Of Saphenous vein grafts (SOS) trial. METHODS: The baseline and follow-up angiograms of 80 patients participating in the SOS trial were analyzed to determine the prevalence of intermediate (30-60% angiographic diameter stenosis) SVG lesions and their progression rate. RESULTS: At least one intermediate SVG lesion was present in 31 of 143 (22%) SVGs in 27 of 80 (34%) patients. Most intermediate lesions were present in the SOS stented SVGs (20 grafts in 19 patients). During a median follow-up of 35 months, angiographic follow-up was available for 28 grafts in 25 patients. Progression (defined as percent diameter stenosis ≥ 70% but <100% at follow-up angiography) was seen in 11 of 28 SVGs (39%) in 11 of 25 patients (44%). Progression rate at 12, 24 and 36 months was 28% and 47% and 84%, respectively. Seven of 11 patients (64%) with intermediate SVG lesion progression presented with an acute coronary syndrome and 8 (73%) underwent PCI. Four of the 28 grafts with intermediate lesions at baseline were 100% occluded at follow-up; all of those SVGs had received a stent in another location in the SVG as part of the SOS trial. CONCLUSIONS: Intermediate SVG lesions are common in patients undergoing SVG stenting, have high rates of progression and frequently present with an acute coronary syndrome. Further study of pharmacologic and mechanical treatments to prevent progression of these lesions is needed.

Unprotected left main distal bifurcation lesion.

Left main coronary artery disease is a high-risk condition with significant mortality. Currently, bypass surgery is considered the gold-standard treatment for unprotected left main disease. The introduction of drugeluting stents for the treatment of coronary artery disease has proved to reduce the rates of restenosis and, consequently, the need for repeat revascularisation; therefore, recently, percutaneous coronary intervention in the unprotected left main using drug-eluting stents has been considered another therapeutic option for patients at high risk for bypass surgery, or for patients who simply refuse bypass surgery. Based on the updated guidelines on myocardial revascularisation of the European Society of Cardiology, treating left main lesions by angioplasty is feasible and safe in selected patients. In this case report we demonstrate the successful implantation of drug-eluting stents for the treatment of an unprotected left main bifurcation lesion in an 85-year-old patient with high perioperative risk.

Paclitaxel-eluting stents reduce neointimal hyperplasia compared to bare metal stents in saphenous vein grafts: intravascular ultrasonography analysis of the SOS (Stenting of Saphenous Vein Grafts) trial.

AIMS: To compare the intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) findings between saphenous vein grafts (SVG) treated with paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) vs. bare metal stents (BMS) in the Stenting Of Saphenous Vein Grafts (SOS) trial. METHODS AND RESULTS: Of the 80 SOS trial patients, 38 had both baseline and follow-up IVUS examination and were included in this substudy: 17 patients received 28 BMS in 26 lesions and 21 patients received 30 PES in 28 lesions. Quantitative IVUS analysis was performed to determine the volume of in-stent neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) - defined as the difference between stent volume and lumen volume in the stented segments. Baseline characteristics were similar between patients who did and did not undergo baseline and follow-up IVUS. Patients receiving BMS and PES had similar stent and lumen volumes immediately after stenting. At 12-month follow-up, compared to BMS, PES-treated lesions had significantly less NIH volume (3.4 vs. 21.9 mm³, p<0.001) and neointima hyperplasia progression (1.6 vs. 17.1 mm³, p<0.001). No significant differences were seen in the 5 mm segment proximal and distal to the stent. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to BMS, use of PES in SVG lesions is associated with significantly lower NIH formation, which may help explain the improved clinical outcomes with PES in these lesions.

Recurrent cardiovascular events with paclitaxel-eluting versus bare-metal stents in saphenous vein graft lesions: insights from the SOS (Stenting of Saphenous Vein Grafts) trial.

UNLABELLED: The Stenting of Saphenous Vein Grafts (SOS) trial demonstrated a reduction in clinical and angiographic adverse events with paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) compared to bare-metal stents (BMS) in saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions, but the rate of recurrent adverse events has not been described. METHODS: We performed a post hoc, landmark analysis to evaluate the risk of event recurrence following a non-fatal initial event among the SOS trial patients (pts). RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 35 months, the 80 pts enrolled in SOS experienced a total of 78 major cardiovascular events (MACE): 51 in the BMS group and 27 in PES group. No MACE were found in 28 pts (35%) while 52 pts (65%) had at least one event. The initial event was death in 13 pts (16%). Among the 39 pts whose initial event was not fatal, 12 (31%) had one or more subsequent MACE (50% of which were definitely related to the study SVG). The mean and median number of MACE per patient was significantly higher in patients receiving BMS versus PES (1.3 ± 1.2 and 1 ± 1.26 versus 0.6 ± 0.7 and 1 ± 0.825, p = 0.005 and p = 0.008, respectively). The rate of a second MACE following an initial event was 17% in the PES group and 37% in the BMS group (p = 0.24). Ten of 12 pts with recurrent events had received a BMS (83%). CONCLUSION: Pts undergoing SVG stenting had a high rate of recurrent events after an initial non-fatal event. These events were often related to the target vessel and most occurred in pts who had received a BMS, further supporting the benefit of PES over BMS in SVG lesions.

Long-term results after drug-eluting stent implantation in diabetic patients according to diabetic treatment.

INTRODUCTION: In this prospective, single-center study we assessed the long-term results after drug-eluting stent implantation in non insulin-dependent diabetic patients compared to insulin-dependent patients. METHODS: A total of 610 consecutive diabetic patients (mean age 65 ± 9 years) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stent implantation. They were classified into 2 groups according to their diabetic treatment: 1) non insulin-dependent patients (477); 2) insulin-dependent patients (133). The primary endpoint was the composite of death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, bypass surgery and target lesion revascularization. RESULTS: Clinical follow up for more than 12 months (median 29 months) was achieved in 597/610 patients (98%). The insulin-dependent group had more women (29% vs. 18%, p=0.003), as well as a higher incidence of multivessel disease (84% vs. 65%, p<0.0001) and ejection fraction <40% (16% vs. 9%, p=0.037) compared to the non insulin-dependent group. The in-hospital results were almost the same in both groups, except for the incidence of non-Q myocardial infarction and bleeding complications, which were more frequent in the insulin-dependent group (9.8% vs. 4.8%, p=0.03, and 1.5% vs. 0%, p=0.047, respectively). During clinical follow up, no significant differences in the incidence of death or non-fatal myocardial infarction were observed, but target lesion revascularization and bypass surgery were more frequent in the insulin-dependent group (8.5% vs. 3.4%, p=0.01, and 4.7% vs. 1.3%, p=0.01, respectively). The event-free survival was lower in the insulin-dependent group (hazard ratio: 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.85, p=0.01). CONCLUSION: The implantation of drug-eluting stents in diabetics is associated with excellent in-hospital and long-term results. However, the long-term effectiveness in insulin-dependent patients is lower, because of the greater risk of new revascularization.

Continued benefit from paclitaxel-eluting compared with bare-metal stent implantation in saphenous vein graft lesions during long-term follow-up of the SOS (Stenting of Saphenous Vein Grafts) trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to report the long-term outcomes after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions in the SOS (Stenting of Saphenous Vein Grafts) trial. BACKGROUND: The long-term outcomes after DES implantation in SVGs are poorly studied. Apart from the SOS trial, the only other randomized trial comparing DES with bare-metal stents (BMS) in SVGs reported higher mortality in the DES group at 32 months. METHODS: In the SOS trial, 80 patients with 112 lesions in 88 SVGs were randomized to a BMS or paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) and demonstrated improved short-term angiographic and clinical outcomes with PES. Extended clinical follow-up was subsequently obtained. RESULTS: Mean age was 67 ± 9 years, and all patients were men. The indications for stenting included acute coronary syndrome in 60% and stable angina in 31% of patients. The mean SVG age was 12 ± 6 years. The baseline characteristics of the patients in the 2 study groups were similar. Procedural success was achieved in 77 patients (96%). During a median follow-up of 35 months, compared with patients randomized to BMS, those receiving PES had a lower incidence of myocardial infarction (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.32, p = 0.01), target lesion revascularization (HR: 0.20, p = 0.004), target vessel revascularization (HR: 0.41, p = 0.03), and target vessel failure (HR: 0.34, p = 0.001) as well as a trend toward less definite or probable stent thrombosis (HR: 0.15, p = 0.08). All-cause mortality (HR: 2.04, p = 0.19) and cardiac mortality (HR: 0.62, p = 0.51) did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: During long-term follow-up, use of PES was associated with significantly better clinical outcomes than BMS in SVG lesions. (Stenting of Saphenous Vein Grafts Trial [SOS]; NCT00247208).

Contemporary use of embolic protection devices in saphenous vein graft interventions: Insights from the stenting of saphenous vein grafts trial.

BACKGROUND: We sought to evaluate the contemporary use of embolic protection devices (EPDs) in saphenous vein graft (SVG) interventions. METHODS: We examined EPD use in the stenting of saphenous vein grafts (SOS) trial, in which 80 patients with 112 lesions in 88 SVGs were randomized to a bare metal stent (39 patients, 43 grafts, and 55 lesions) or paclitaxel-eluting stent (41 patients, 45 grafts, and 57 lesions). RESULTS: An EPD was used in 60 of 112 lesions (54%). A Filterwire (Boston Scientific) was used in 70% of EPD-treated lesions, Spider (ev3, Plymouth, Minnesota) in 12%, Proxis (St. Jude, Minneapolis, Minnesota) in 12%, and Guardwire (Medtronic, Santa Rosa, California) in 7%. Of the remaining 52 lesions, an EPD was not utilized in 13 lesions (25%) because the lesion was near the distal anastomosis, in 14 lesions (27%) because of an ostial location, in one lesion (2%) because of small SVG size, in two in-stent restenosis lesions (4%) because of low distal embolization risk, and in 22 lesions (42%) because of operator's preference even though use of an EPD was feasible. Procedural success was achieved in 77 patients (96%); in one patient a Filterwire was entrapped requiring emergency coronary bypass graft surgery and two patients had acute stent thrombosis. CONCLUSION: In spite of their proven efficacy, EPDs were utilized in approximately half of SVG interventions in the SOS trial. Availability of a proximal protection device could allow protection of approximately 25% of unprotected lesions, yet operator discretion appears to be the major determinant of EPD use.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension: many years' experience and modern approach to a malignant disease in a pulmonary hypertension centre.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to record the results from a modern diagnostic and therapeutic approach to patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. METHODS: We studied the clinical characteristics and the treatment of 69 patients (50 women, 72.5%), aged 44 +/- 17 years, who were diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (World Health Organisation categories I, IV and V). The patients' outcomes were recorded over 14 years' operation of our Pulmonary Hypertension Unit. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (39.1%) suffered from idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, 12 (17.4%) from thromboembolic obstructive disease, 14 (20.3%) from congenital heart diseases, 11 (15.9%) from connective tissue diseases, 3 (4.3%) from portal hypertension, 2 (2.9%) from sarcoidosis, and 1 (1.4%) from pulmonary veno-occlusive disease. Six patients (8.7%) were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class I, 28 (40.6%) were in class II, 30 (43.5%) were in class III, and 5 (7.2%) were in class IV. Thirty-four patients completed a 6-minute walk test and covered a mean distance of 352 +/- 137 m. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were measured in 18 patients, with a mean value of 1665 +/- 1935 pg/ml. A vasoreactivity test in 41 patients had a positive response in 10 (24.4%). Twenty-six patients (37.7%) were treated with combination therapy, whereas 16 (23.2%) either did not comply with or were not given specific medication. The mortality over a mean follow-up period of 5 +/- 4 years was 26%, significantly lower than that reported before the introduction of new drugs. An advanced NYHA class was an independent predictor of mortality (p=0.004), while elevated NT-proBNP levels were also associated with poor survival (p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a severe disease that leads to right heart failure and death. Despite the latest advances, vigilance and continuous investigation are needed in order to achieve a prompt diagnosis and the most suitable treatment.

Clinical presentation and angiographic characteristics of saphenous vein graft failure after stenting: insights from the SOS (stenting of saphenous vein grafts) trial.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to compare the clinical presentation and angiographic patterns of saphenous vein graft (SVG) failure after stenting with a paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) versus a similar bare-metal stent (BMS). BACKGROUND: The mode of SVG failure after stenting has been poorly characterized. METHODS: The SOS (Stenting Of Saphenous Vein Grafts) trial enrolled 80 patients with 112 lesions in 88 SVGs who were randomized to a BMS or PES. Angiographic follow-up at 12 months was available in 83% of the patients. RESULTS: Binary angiographic restenosis occurred in 51% (24 of 47) of BMS-treated lesions versus 9% (4 of 43) of PES-treated lesions (p < 0.0001). Graft occlusion occurred in 9 of the 21 SVGs (43%) that failed in the BMS group and in 2 of 4 SVGs (50%) that failed in the PES group. SVG failure after stenting presented as an acute coronary syndrome in 10 of the 24 patients (42%) (7 of those 10 patients presented with non-ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction), stable angina in 9 (37%) patients, and without symptoms in 5 (21%) patients. Of the 19 patients (with 20 grafts) who developed symptomatic graft failure, repeat SVG revascularization was successfully performed in all 13 (100%) subtotally obstructed SVGs but was attempted (and successful) in only 1 of 7 (14%) occluded SVGs. Revascularization of a native coronary artery was performed in an additional 4 of 7 (57%) symptomatic patients with an occluded SVG. CONCLUSIONS: SVG failure after stenting often presents as acute myocardial infarction and with SVG occlusion. Compared with BMS, PES reduce SVG failure.

A randomized controlled trial of a paclitaxel-eluting stent versus a similar bare-metal stent in saphenous vein graft lesions the SOS (Stenting of Saphenous Vein Grafts) trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of angiographic restenosis and clinical events between a paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) and a similar bare-metal stent (BMS) in saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions. BACKGROUND: There are conflicting and mostly retrospective data on outcomes after drug-eluting stent implantation in SVGs. METHODS: Patients requiring SVG lesion stenting were randomized to BMS or PES. The primary study end point was binary in-segment restenosis at 12-month follow-up quantitative coronary angiography. Secondary end points included death, myocardial infarction, ischemia-driven target vessel and lesion revascularization, and target vessel failure. RESULTS: Eighty patients with 112 lesions in 88 SVGs were randomized to a BMS (39 patients, 43 grafts, 55 lesions) or PES (41 patients, 45 grafts, 57 lesions). Binary angiographic restenosis occurred in 51% of the BMS-treated lesions versus 9% of the PES-treated lesions (relative risk: 0.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07 to 0.48, p < 0.0001). During a median follow-up of 1.5 years the PES patients had less target lesion revascularization (28% vs. 5%, hazard ratio: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.74, p = 0.003) and target vessel failure (46% vs. 22%, hazard ratio: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.42 to 0.96, p = 0.03), a trend toward less target vessel revascularization (31% vs. 15%, hazard ratio: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.39 to 1.05, p = 0.08) and myocardial infarction (31% vs. 15%, hazard ratio: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.40 to 1.08, p = 0.10), and similar mortality (5% vs. 12%, hazard ratio: 1.56; 95% CI: 0.72 to 4.11, p = 0.27). CONCLUSIONS: In SVG lesions, PES are associated with lower rates of angiographic restenosis and target vessel failure than BMS.

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene polymorphisms and severity of coronary stenosis.

PURPOSE: Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene is involved in the reverse cholesterol transport in humans. Thus, it is a candidate for studying the susceptibility to coronary heart disease (CHD). The goal of the current investigation was to determine any association between CETP polymorphisms (I405V and TaqIB), and severity of coronary stenosis, since the extent of coronary artery narrowing has been considered as a primary determinant of survival in CHD patients. METHODS: The severity of coronary stenosis was estimated by Gensini (GS) and Duke Jeopardy (JS) scores in 130 men with documented CHD (mean age 61 +/- 10 yr). Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. RESULTS: The allele frequencies for both TaqIB and I405V were found in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Homozygotes for I had lower GS compared with heterozygotes (IV) and homozygotes for V [72(95% CI 51-92) vs. 122(95% CI 88-157) and 136 (95% CI 74-198), P = 0.009, P = 0.010, respectively]. In addition, GS differed between carriers of I and carriers of V allele [86(95% CI 72-101) vs. 128(95% CI 102-154), P = 0.003]. A correlation was found between the GS and I405V polymorphism (r = 0.250, P = 0.005), but not with JS. CONCLUSION: Homozygosity for I405 favours less severe coronary stenosis. Our findings indicate that the I405V polymorphism may have potential importance in screening individuals at high risk for developing CHD, establishing efficient prevention measures, and searching for other risk factors for CHD. However, further prospective investigations in larger populations are required to confirm these findings.

Prospective native coronary artery stenosis treated with sirolimus-eluting stent (ONASSIS) registry--acute results and mid-term outcomes: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Encouraging results with the use of the sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) have been recently presented in several multi-center trials. In the present study, the short- and mid-term clinical outcomes of the SES in everyday clinical practice of interventional cardiology were compared with a strategy using conventional bare metal stents. METHODS: In a total of 530 consecutive patients (males 86%, mean age 61 +/- 10 years) who had been treated with a SES were compared with a control group of 398 patients (males 87%, mean age 59 +/- 11 years) treated with a bare metal stent before the use of SES. In-hospital results and clinical outcomes during follow-up (11.22 +/- 3.4 versus 11.41 +/- 3.1 months) were obtained. RESULTS: Patients treated with SES had more risk factors for coronary artery disease or multivessel disease compared to those with treated bare metal stent. The clinical success rate was 99.6% in the SES group and 98.5% in the bare metal stent group (p = ns), and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI) occurred in 5.7% and 4.0% of patients, respectively. The incidence of death or MI during follow-up was not different (1.1% versus 1.3% and 0.8% versus 1.8%; p = ns). Percutaneous or surgical revascularization for target lesion restenosis was required in 2.1% of patients treated with SES and in 10.1% of those with bare metal stents (p < 0.001), and the event-free survival from death, cerebrovascular accident, MI or any percutaneous or surgical revascularization was 93.13% and 83.63%, respectively (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The implantation of the SES is associated with excellent in-hospital and mid-term results, mainly because of dramatic reductions in the need for repeat revascularization, despite a higher risk factor profile and more complex lesion characteristics.