The effects of alcohol on anxiety-like, depression-like, and social behavior immediately and a day after binge drinking.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of binge drinking on anxiety-like, depression-like, and social behavior. The participation of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptors (CRF1 and CRF2) in these effects was also investigated. Therefore, male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to drinking in the dark, a classical animal model for binge drinking, and treated intracerebroventricularly (icv) with selective CRF1 antagonist antalarmin or selective CRF2 antagonist astressin2B, immediately or 24 h after binge drinking. After 30 min, the animals were investigated in an elevated plus-maze test and a forced swim test for anxiety-like and depression-like signs, respectively. In addition, mice were tested in a three-chamber social interaction arena for sociability and preference for social novelty. Immediately after binge drinking, mice exposed to alcohol expressed anxiolytic and antidepressant effects, which were reduced by astressin2B, but not antalarmin. Moreover, mice exposed to alcohol showed increased sociability and preference for social novelty immediately after binge drinking. In contrast, 24 h after binge drinking mice exposed to alcohol presented anxiety-like and depression-like signs, which were reversed by antalarmin, but not astressin2B. However, mice exposed to alcohol did not show any significant change in social interaction after 24 h. The present study demonstrates that alcohol exerts different effects on anxiety-like, depression-like, and social behavior immediately and a day after binge drinking, and that the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects produced by binge drinking are mediated by CRF2, whereas the anxiety-like and depression-like signs observed the next day are promoted by CRF1.

Bench test and in vivo evaluation of longitudinal stent deformation during proximal optimisation.

BACKGROUND: While radial stent deformation has been thoroughly investigated, data on longitudinal deformation are scarce. AIMS: The aim of the study was to describe longitudinal stent deformation associated with the proximal optimisation technique (POT). METHODS: Longitudinal stent deformation was assessed by bench testing and by clinical evaluation. Bench testing was performed in silicone models using 3.00 (n=15) and 3.50 mm (n=14) stent platforms. After deployment, stents were sequentially post-dilated in the proximal main branch up to 5.50 mm, in increments of 0.50 mm, in order to simulate a spectrum of overexpansion. Stent length was redefined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) after each step. Clinical data were collected retrospectively from OCT-guided bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention cases. RESULTS: In bench tests, POT has led to significant stent elongation in all cases. The magnitude of elongation was comparable between the 3.00 and the 3.50 mm stent platforms, with 0.86±0.74 mm vs 0.86±0.73 mm, respectively (p=0.71), per 0.5 mm overexpansion. For 3.00 mm stent platforms, maximal elongation was 4.31±1.47 mm after up to 5.5 mm overexpansion. For 3.50 mm platforms, maximal elongation was 2.87±0.94 mm after up to 5.5 mm overexpansion. Thirty-six clinical cases were analysed, of which 22 (61%) were performed in the distal left main. Post-dilation was performed with 0.98±0.36 mm absolute overexpansion, resulting in 2.22±1.35 mm elongation, as compared to nominal stent length. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpansion by POT results in proximal stent elongation. This has to be considered once the stent length is selected and the stent is positioned, especially in the left main stem, where proximal overexpansion is marked and accurate ostial landing is critical.

Safety and Efficacy of 1-Month Dual Antiplatelet Therapy (Ticagrelor + Aspirin) Followed by 23-Month Ticagrelor Monotherapy in Patients Undergoing Staged Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (A Sub-Study from GLOBAL LEADERS).

Patients undergoing staged percutaneous coronary intervention (SPCI) are exposed to extended duration of antiplatelet therapy, and a novel aspirin-free antiplatelet regimen after SPCI should be specifically evaluated among these patients. This is a prespecified substudy of the GLOBAL LEADERS which is a randomized, open-label trial, comparing an experimental regimen of 1-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT; ticagrelor and aspirin) followed by 23-month ticagrelor monotherapy to a reference regimen of 12-month DAPT followed by 12-month aspirin monotherapy. Patients were stratified according to whether or not SPCI was performed. The impact of the timing of SPCI on clinical outcomes was also investigated. Of 15,968 randomized patients, 1,651 patients underwent SPCI within 3 months. These patients with SPCI had a significantly higher risk of bleeding and ischemic endpoints than those without SPCI. In patients undergoing SPCI, the primary endpoint (composite of all-cause death or new Q-wave myocardial infarction at 2 years) and secondary safety endpoint (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium [BARC]-defined bleeding 3 or 5) were similar in the 2 regimens. However, in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), the experimental regimen reduced a risk of BARC 3 or 5 bleeding (1.8% vs 4.5%; HR 0.387; 95% CI 0.179 to 0.836; p = 0.016). In patients undergoing SPCI later than 10 days after index procedure, this risk reduction was still prominent (0.8% vs 2.3%; HR 0.321; 95% CI 0.116 to 0.891; p = 0.029). In conclusion, patients undergoing SPCI are at high risk and may need special attention from clinicians. In ACS patients undergoing SPCI, a novel aspirin-free antiplatelet regimen appears to be associated with a lower bleeding risk than with standard DAPT.

Impact of angiographic coronary artery disease complexity on ischemic and bleeding risks and on the comparative effectiveness of zotarolimus-eluting vs. bare-metal stents in uncertain drug-eluting stent candidates.

BACKGROUND: The impact of coronary artery disease (CAD) extension/complexity on outcomes and on the comparative benefits/risks of zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES) versus bare-metal stents (BMS) remains unclear in patients at high risk of bleeding or thrombosis or at low restenosis risk. METHODS: We performed a post-hoc analysis of the ZEUS trial. The impact of coronary anatomic complexity measured by the SYNTAX score on the differences in outcomes following ZES and BMS was assessed at 1 year. RESULTS: The mean SYNTAX score was 16.3 ±â€¯13.1 with a median of 12 (IQR: 7 to 22). We stratified patients according to SYNTAX tertiles (0-8: n = 563; >8-19 n = 532; >19: n = 511), and observed that the higher the score, the correspondingly higher was the rate of the primary endpoint of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and other ischemic events, but not bleeding after adjustment. The superior efficacy of ZES versus BMS for MACE was consistent across SYNTAX tertiles (tertile 1: HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.44-1.13; tertile 2: HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.46-1.09; tertile 3: HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.61-1.10) without significant heterogeneity (p for trend = 0.55). This between-groups difference mainly reflected a reduction in MI and TVR without effect on mortality. There was no significant interaction between the SYNTAX score and allocated stent type with respect to ischemic and bleeding endpoints. CONCLUSIONS: The SYNTAX score was predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events but not bleeding and ZES provided superior efficacy and safety than BMS across the whole spectrum of CAD complexity. SYNTAX score may be routinely used for the assessment of the ischemic risk (but not bleeding) after PCI and should not guide the decision-making for DES versus BMS in patients undergoing PCI.

Is Bare-Metal Stent Implantation Still Justifiable in High Bleeding Risk Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention?: A Pre-Specified Analysis From the ZEUS Trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate the ischemic and bleeding outcomes of patients fulfilling high bleeding risk (HBR) criteria who were randomized to zotarolimus-eluting Endeavor Sprint stent (E-ZES) or bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation followed by an abbreviated dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration for stable or unstable coronary artery disease. BACKGROUND: DES instead of BMS use remains controversial in HBR patients, in whom long-term DAPT poses safety concerns. METHODS: The ZEUS (Zotarolimus-Eluting Endeavor Sprint Stent in Uncertain DES Candidates) is a multinational, randomized single-blinded trial that randomized among others, in a stratified manner, 828 patients fulfilling pre-defined clinical or biochemical HBR criteria-including advanced age, indication to oral anticoagulants or other pro-hemorrhagic medications, history of bleeding and known anemia-to receive E-ZES or BMS followed by a protocol-mandated 30-day DAPT regimen. The primary endpoint of the study was the 12-month major adverse cardiovascular event rate, consisting of death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization. RESULTS: Compared with patients without, those with 1 or more HBR criteria had worse outcomes, owing to higher ischemic and bleeding risks. Among HBR patients, major adverse cardiovascular events occurred in 22.6% of the E-ZES and 29% of the BMS patients (hazard ratio: 0.75; 95% confidence interval: 0.57 to 0.98; p = 0.033), driven by lower myocardial infarction (3.5% vs. 10.4%; p < 0.001) and target vessel revascularization (5.9% vs. 11.4%; p = 0.005) rates in the E-ZES arm. The composite of definite or probable stent thrombosis was significantly reduced in E-ZES recipients, whereas bleeding events did not differ between stent groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among HBR patients with stable or unstable coronary artery disease, E-ZES implantation provides superior efficacy and safety as compared with conventional BMS. (Zotarolimus-Eluting Endeavor Sprint Stent in Uncertain DES Candidates [ZEUS]; NCT01385319).

Aortic arch and common carotid artery plaques with soft components pose a substantial risk of cerebral embolization during carotid stenting.

OBJECTIVES: A higher rate of embolization is considered a disadvantage of carotid stenting (CAS), when compared with carotid endarterectomy. Plaques in the aortic arch (AA) and the common carotid artery (CCA) may be additional sources of embolization to stented internal carotid plaques during CAS. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between these plaques and intracerebral embolization. METHODS: We analyzed the occurrence and composition of plaques in the AA and CCA by computed tomography angiography (CTA) in 101 consecutive cases of CAS. Cases of peri-procedural embolization were detected on diffusion-weighted imaging as lesions demonstrating diffusion restriction. We applied the χ(2) and Fisher's exact tests, as well as logistic regression models. RESULTS: The occurrence of plaques in the AA and CCA was significantly related to the appearance of new diffusion-weighted imaging lesions (p = 0.013 and p = 0.004, respectively). Patients with soft plaques in the AA or CCA had a significantly higher risk of embolization than those without plaques (p = 0.012 and p = 0.006, respectively). In contrast, homogeneously calcified plaques did not pose significantly higher risks. CONCLUSIONS: Soft plaques in the AA and CCA result in a substantial risk of embolization during CAS. Use of a CTA examination of the AA and the CCA in patients with carotid stenosis may help to select lower-risk patients for CAS.

Zotarolimus-eluting versus bare-metal stents in uncertain drug-eluting stent candidates.

BACKGROUND: The use of drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients at high risk of bleeding or thrombosis has not been prospectively studied; limited data are available in patients who have a low restenosis risk. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to compare a hydrophilic polymer-based, second-generation zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES) with a unique drug fast-release profile versus bare-metal stents (BMS) under similar durations of dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). METHODS: We randomly assigned 1,606 patients with stable or unstable symptoms, and who on the basis of thrombotic bleeding or restenosis risk criteria, qualified as uncertain candidates for DES, to receive ZES or BMS. DAPT duration was on the basis of patient characteristics, rather than stent characteristics, and allowed for a personalized 1-month dual antiplatelet regimen. The primary endpoint was the risk of 1-year major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), which included death, myocardial infarction (MI), or target vessel revascularization (TVR). RESULTS: Median DAPT duration was 32 days (interquartile range [IQR]: 30 to 180 days) and did not differ between the groups. In the ZES group, 140 patients (17.5%) reached the primary endpoint, compared with 178 patients (22.1%) in the BMS group (hazard ratio: 0.76; 95% confidence interval: 0.61 to 0.95; p = 0.011) as a result of lower MI (2.9% vs. 8.1%; p < 0.001) and TVR rates (5.9% vs.10.7%; p = 0.001) in the ZES group. Definite or probable stent thrombosis was also significantly reduced in ZES recipients (2.0% vs. 4.1%; p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with BMS, DES implantation using a stent with a biocompatible polymer and fast drug-eluting characteristics, combined with an abbreviated, tailored DAPT regimen, resulted in a lower risk of 1-year MACE in uncertain candidates for DES implantation. (Zotarolimus-eluting Endeavor Sprint Stent in Uncertain DES Candidates [ZEUS] Study; NCT01385319).

Meta-analysis of randomized trials on access site selection for percutaneous coronary intervention in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

INTRODUCTION: Superior outcomes with transradial (TRPCI) versus transfemoral coronary intervention (TFPCI) in the setting of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been suggested by earlier studies. However, this effect was not evident in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), suggesting a possible allocation bias in observational studies. Since important studies with heterogeneous results regarding mortality have been published recently, we aimed to perform an updated review and meta-analysis on the safety and efficacy of TRPCI compared to TFPCI in the setting of STEMI. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for relevant studies from January 1993 to November 2012. Outcome parameters of RCTs were pooled with the DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model. RESULTS: Twelve RCTs involving 5,124 patients were identified. According to the pooled analysis, TRPCI was associated with a significant reduction in major bleeding (odds ratio (OR): 0.52 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.38-0.71, p < 0.0001)). The risk of mortality and major adverse events was significantly lower after TRPCI (OR = 0.58 (95% CI: 0.43-0.79), p = 0.0005 and OR = 0.67 (95% CI: 0.52-0.86), p = 0.002 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Robust data from randomized clinical studies indicate that TRPCI reduces both ischemic and bleeding complications in STEMI. These findings support the preferential use of radial access for primary PCI.

Randomized comparison of Zotarolimus-Eluting Endeavor Sprint versus bare-metal stent implantation in uncertain drug-eluting stent candidates: rationale, design, and characterization of the patient population for the Zotarolimus-eluting Endeavor Sprint stent in uncertain DES candidates study.

BACKGROUND: The use of drug-eluting stent (DES) instead of bare-metal stent (BMS) in patients at high stent thrombosis or bleeding risk as well as in those at low restenosis risk (ie, uncertain DES candidates) remains a matter of debate. Zotarolimus-Eluting Endeavor Sprint stent (E-ZES) (Santa Rosa, CA) is a hydrophilic polymer-based second-generation device with unique drug fast-release profile, which may allow for a shorter dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) duration without safety concerns. HYPOTHESIS: The primary objective is to assess whether E-ZES implantation followed by a shorter than currently recommended course of DAPT will decrease the incidence of 12-month major adverse cardiovascular events as compared with BMS in undefined DES recipients. Actual duration of DAPT regimen will be dictated by patients' characteristics and not by stent type and, as such, can be as short as 30 days after intervention in both stent groups. STUDY DESIGN: The ZEUS study is an open-label randomized clinical trial conducted at 20 clinical sites in Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, and Hungary. With 1,600 individuals, this study will have 85% power to detect a 33% difference in the primary end point consisting of the composite of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization. SUMMARY: The ZEUS trial aims to assess whether the use of E-ZES, followed by a DAPT duration regimen based on patients' characteristics and not by stent type, is superior to conventional BMS implantation in undefined DES recipients who qualify for the presence of high thrombosis, bleeding, or low restenosis risk criteria.

Focus on the research utility of intravascular ultrasound - comparison with other invasive modalities.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is an invasive modality which provides cross-sectional images of a coronary artery. In these images both the lumen and outer vessel wall can be identified and accurate estimations of their dimensions and of the plaque burden can be obtained. In addition, further processing of the IVUS backscatter signal helps in the characterization of the type of the plaque and thus it has been used to study the natural history of the atherosclerotic evolution. On the other hand its indigenous limitations do not allow IVUS to assess accurately stent struts coverage, existence of thrombus or exact site of plaque rupture and to identify some of the features associated with increased plaque vulnerability. In order this information to be obtained, other modalities such as optical coherence tomography, angioscopy, near infrared spectroscopy and intravascular magnetic resonance imaging have either been utilized or are under evaluation. The aim of this review article is to present the current utilities of IVUS in research and to discuss its advantages and disadvantages over the other imaging techniques.

Five-year experience with transradial coronary angioplasty in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) via radial approach has been shown to be an alternative to femoral approach in emergency cases; however, its feasibility has been questioned. This single-center study was performed to compare the outcomes and complication rates between transradial (TR) and transfemoral (TF) PCI in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS AND MATERIALS: The clinical and angiographic data of 582 consecutive STEMI patients treated with PCI between 2001 and 2006 were evaluated in a retrospective study. Forty-three patients were excluded from the present study due to cardiogenic shock or rescue PCI. Patients (n=539) were categorized into the TR group (n=167) or the TF group (n=372), and several parameters were evaluated to assess the advantages and drawbacks of TR access: access-site crossover, rate of access-site complications, procedure time, fluoroscopy time, X-ray area dose, major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 1 month, and consumption of angioplasty equipment. RESULTS: In the TR group, the crossover rate to femoral access was 5%, while in the TF group, it was 0.8% (P<.05). There was a significant difference, in both major and minor access-site complications, between the TR group and the TF group (0% vs. 5%, P<.05, and 4% vs. 9%, P<.05, respectively). Consumption of angioplasty equipment proved to be the same for the two groups. The MACE rate was 4% in the TR group and 11% in the TF group (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the TR approach is a safe and effective way to treat STEMI; furthermore, site-related complications are less common with this approach.

Myocardial protection with enalaprilat in patients unresponsive to ischemic preconditioning during percutaneous coronary intervention.

Cardioprotection due to angiotensin enzyme inhibitors is attributed, at least in part, to the inhibition of bradykinin breakdown and the preconditioning effect of the elevated endogenous bradykinin level. We have previously shown that in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, one 120-second balloon inflation is insufficient to precondition the heart. The objective of the present study was to examine whether the administration of enalaprilat to these patients results in protection. Twenty patients underwent two 120-second coronary artery occlusions separated by a reperfusion interval of 10 min. Ten patients were given 50 microg x min-1 enalaprilat in an intracoronary infusion between the balloon inflations, whereas the others received an infusion of saline. In the latter control patients, there were no significant differences in ST-segment elevation between the consecutive occlusions (peak ST: 1.61 +/- 0.17 vs. 1.61 +/- 0.16 mV; time to reach 0.5 mV ST elevation: 16 +/- 4 vs. 22 +/- 7 s; mean ST: 1.03 +/- 0.12 vs. 1.02 +/- 0.11 mV). In the patients who received enalaprilat before the second balloon inflation, the ST-segment elevation was significantly less pronounced and slower during the second inflation than during the first (peak ST: 1.80 +/- 0.18 vs. 1.41 +/- 0.19 mV; time to reach 0.5 mV ST elevation: 18 +/- 4 vs. 30 +/- 4 s; mean ST: 1.04 +/- 0.11 vs. 0.85 +/- 0.14 mV). We conclude that enalaprilat administered during percutaneous coronary intervention provides protection to patients who do not have a protective response to the initial balloon inflation.

Simulation of stent deployment in a realistic human coronary artery.

BACKGROUND: The process of restenosis after a stenting procedure is related to local biomechanical environment. Arterial wall stresses caused by the interaction of the stent with the vascular wall and possibly stress induced stent strut fracture are two important parameters. The knowledge of these parameters after stent deployment in a patient derived 3D reconstruction of a diseased coronary artery might give insights in the understanding of the process of restenosis. METHODS: 3D reconstruction of a mildly stenosed coronary artery was carried out based on a combination of biplane angiography and intravascular ultrasound. Finite element method computations were performed to simulate the deployment of a stent inside the reconstructed coronary artery model at inflation pressure of 1.0 MPa. Strut thickness of the stent was varied to investigate stresses in the stent and the vessel wall. RESULTS: Deformed configurations, pressure-lumen area relationship and stress distribution in the arterial wall and stent struts were studied. The simulations show how the stent pushes the arterial wall towards the outside allowing the expansion of the occluded artery. Higher stresses in the arterial wall are present behind the stent struts and in regions where the arterial wall was thin. Values of 200 MPa for the peak stresses in the stent strut were detected near the connecting parts between the stent struts, and they were only just below the fatigue stress. Decreasing strut thickness might reduce arterial damage without increasing stresses in the struts significantly. CONCLUSION: The method presented in this paper can be used to predict stresses in the stent struts and the vessel wall, and thus evaluate whether a specific stent design is optimal for a specific patient.

Strain distribution over plaques in human coronary arteries relates to shear stress.

Once plaques intrude into the lumen, the shear stress they are exposed to alters with hitherto unknown consequences for plaque composition. We investigated the relationship between shear stress and strain, a marker for plaque composition, in human coronary arteries. We imaged 31 plaques in coronary arteries with angiography and intravascular ultrasound. Computational fluid dynamics was used to obtain shear stress. Palpography was applied to measure strain. Each plaque was divided into four regions: upstream, throat, shoulder, and downstream. Average shear stress and strain were determined in each region. Shear stress in the upstream, shoulder, throat, and downstream region was 2.55+/-0.89, 2.07+/-0.98, 2.32+/-1.11, and 0.67+/-0.35 Pa, respectively. Shear stress in the downstream region was significantly lower. Strain in the downstream region was also significantly lower than the values in the other regions (0.23+/-0.08% vs. 0.48+/-0.15%, 0.43+/-0.17%, and 0.47+/-0.12%, for the upstream, shoulder, and throat regions, respectively). Pooling all regions, dividing shear stress per plaque into tertiles, and computing average strain showed a positive correlation; for low, medium, and high shear stress, strain was 0.23+/-0.10%, 0.40+/-0.15%, and 0.60+/-0.18%, respectively. Low strain colocalizes with low shear stress downstream of plaques. Higher strain can be found in all other plaque regions, with the highest strain found in regions exposed to the highest shear stresses. This indicates that high shear stress might destabilize plaques, which could lead to plaque rupture.

[Coronary artery dissection in the postpartum period--a case study]. / Postpartum coronaria dissectio esete.

Spontaneous coronary dissection is a rare condition occurring more often in women, with a higher frequency during the peripartum period. No specific aetiology has been defined to this uncommon, but often fatal disease. We describe the case of a young woman admitted to our intensive care unit with ECG-findings of acute anterior myocardial infarction presented one week after delivery. The acute coronary angiography didn't show significant stenoses or occlusion, therefore angioplasty was not done. Cardiogenic shock developed, which could be reverted by mechanical circulatory support and the condition of our patient stabilized. Later, new-onset cardiac ischemic signs presented warranting a repeated coronary angiography, which detected dissection on the distal part of the left main coronary artery with signs of flow-limiting even in the circumflex artery. Therefore, urgent coronary bypass surgery was performed with good results. Spontaneous coronary dissection must be considered when evaluating a patient in the peripartum period with signs of acute coronary syndrome, given its high overall mortality. The treatment holds specific points of consideration.

Detection and characterization of coronary bifurcation lesions with 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography.

AIMS: To compare the performance of 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) in the detection and classification (according to the Medina system) of bifurcation lesions (BLs). METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 323 consecutive patients undergoing 64-slice CTCA prior to ICA. All coronary segments >or=2 mm in diameter were evaluated for the presence of a significant (>or=50% diameter reduction on quantitative coronary angiography) BL. Evaluation of BL by CTCA included the assessment of significant lumen obstruction in both main and side branch vessels. Forty-one out of 43 patients (46/48 lesions) with significant BL were identified by CTCA. Excluding coronary segments with non-diagnostic image quality (5%), the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of CTCA for detecting significant BL were 96, 99, and 85 and 99%, respectively. In 39 of these 41 patients, CTCA assessment was concordant with the Medina lesion classification on ICA. CONCLUSION: Sixty-four-slice CTCA allows accurate assessment of complex BL.

Grade of aortic atherosclerosis: a valuable adjunct to coronary flow velocity reserve in the evaluation of coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a generalized disease of the arterial vasculature; among thus it manifests in the descending aorta and the coronary arteries. We tested whether known risk factors, the coronary flow velocity reserve and the grade of aortic atherosclerosis detected by transoesophageal echocardiography in the course of the same semi-invasive examination is able to distinguish between patients with significant left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenosis or with multivessel disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: The present study involved 125 consecutive patients (mean age: 56 +/- 11 years, range: 22-73) with chest pain undergoing coronary angiography. Grade of aortic atherosclerosis was obtained by means of transoesophageal echocardiography, and the coronary flow velocity reserve was calculated in the left anterior descending coronary artery. The age (ROC area, 63%, p<0.01), the gender (ROC area, 63%, p<0.02) and the grade of aortic atherosclerosis (ROC area, 64%, p<0.01) exhibited good power for the prediction of patients with multivessel disease from among all other patients. Only the grade of aortic atherosclerosis (ROC area, 63%, p<0.05) appears useful to distinguish patients with left anterior descending coronary artery disease from those with multivessel disease. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that grade of aortic atherosclerosis furnishes additional help in the prediction of patients with severe coronary artery disease. It can differentiate patients with multivessel disease from those with significant left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis. Coronary flow velocity reserve has no any prognostic power in this evaluation.

A new imaging technique to study 3-D plaque and shear stress distribution in human coronary artery bifurcations in vivo.

OBJECTIVE: Bifurcations of coronary arteries are predilection sites for atherosclerosis and expansive remodeling, the latter being associated with plaque vulnerability. Both are related to blood flow-induced shear stress (SS). We present a new approach to generate 3-D reconstructions of coronary artery bifurcations in vivo and investigate the relationship between SS, wall thickness (WT) and remodeling. METHODS: The patient specific 3-D reconstruction of the main branch of the bifurcation was obtained by combining intravascular ultrasound and biplane angiography, and the 3-D lumen of the side branch was based on biplane angiography only. The two data sets were fused and computational methods were applied to determine the SS distribution, using patient derived flow and viscosity data. The intravascular ultrasound data allowed us to measure local WT and remodeling in the main branch. RESULTS: The lumen reconstruction procedure was successful and it was shown that the impact of the side branch on SS distribution in the main branch diminished within 3mm. Distal to the bifurcation, two continuous regions in the main branch were identified. In the proximal region, we observed lumen preservation, and expansive remodeling. Although a plaque was observed in the low SS region at the non-divider wall, no relationship between SS and WT was found. In the distal region, we observed lumen narrowing and a significant positive relationship between SS and WT. CONCLUSIONS: A new imaging technique was applied to generate a 3-D reconstruction of a human coronary artery bifurcation in vivo. The observed relationship between SS, WT and remodeling in this specific patient illustrates the spatial heterogeneity of the atherosclerosis in the vicinity of arterial bifurcations.