Understanding large vessel perforation requiring treatment with covered stent implantation: A case series.

Large vessel perforation during coronary intervention is a rare but potentially fatal complication, often requiring implantation of a covered stent for resolution. While technology is improving, the long-term patency of covered stents is less than drug-eluting stents, and implantation of covered stents should be used sparingly. Large vessel perforations are complex and often the perforation inflow is not located at the site of extravasation seen on angiography. This can lead to geographic miss when implanting covered stents and necessitate the implantation of additional covered stents which increases the risk for short- and long-term complications. We present a case series to further investigate the anatomy and mechanism of large vessel perforations and guidance on effective covered stent implantation.

Cardiac Glycosides Lower C-Reactive Protein Plasma Levels in Patients with Decompensated Heart Failure: Results from the Single-Center C-Reactive Protein-Digoxin Observational Study (C-DOS).

Recent randomized controlled multi-center trials JUPITER, CANTOS and COLCOT impressively demonstrated the effect of anti-inflammatory therapy on secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. These studies also rapidly re-vitalized the question of whether the C-reactive protein (CRP), the prototype human acute phase protein, is actively involved in atherosclerosis and its sequelae. Direct CRP inhibition may indeed improve the specificity and effectiveness of anti-inflammatory intervention. In the present paper, we report on the final results of our single-center C-reactive protein-Digoxin Observational Study (C-DOS). Methods and Results: Based on the experimental finding that cardiac glycosides potently inhibit hepatic CRP synthesis on the transcriptional level in vitro, 60 patients with decompensated heart failure, NYHA III−IV, severely reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF < 40%), and elevated CRP plasma levels were treated by either digoxin + conventional heart failure therapy (30 patients) or by conventional heart failure therapy alone (30 patients). Plasma CRP levels in both groups were assessed for 21 d. Plasma CRP levels on d1, d3 and d21 were compared by regression analysis. CRP levels d21−d1 significantly declined in both groups. Notably, comparative CRP reduction d21−d3 in digoxin versus the control group also revealed borderline significance (p = 0.051). Conclusions: This small observational trial provides the first piece of evidence that cardiac glycosides may inhibit CRP synthesis in humans. In case of further pharmacological developments, cardiac glycosides may emerge as lead compounds for chemical modification in order to improve the potency, selectivity and pharmacokinetics of CRP synthesis inhibition in cardiovascular disease.

No Difference in 30-Day Outcome and Quality of Life in Transradial Versus Transfemoral Access - Results From the German Austrian ABSORB Registry (GABI-R).

BACKGROUND: Radial (RA) instead of femoral access (FA) for coronary interventions has become a European Society of Cardiology Class-IA guideline recommendation. But when the decision on the access site is left to the discretion of the operator, differences in adverse event rates mitigate. METHODS: We compared the 30-day outcome for RA and FA in all patients recruited for the observational German Austrian ABSORB Registry (GABI-R) in regard to all-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), TIMI major bleedings (TMB) and quality of life (QoL). All patients were treated with a bioresorbable vascular scaffold. Access site was left to the discretion of the operator. RESULTS: In total, 3137 patients included by 92 centers received percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) for acute MI in 51.5% and non-acute settings in 48.5%. RA was performed in 47.8% and had a higher median radiation exposure (3896 vs. 3082 cGycm2, p < 0.001). There was no difference in the amount of contrast used. There was also no difference in all-cause mortality (0.53% vs. 0.49%, p = 0.86), the combination of death, MI and stroke (1.87% vs. 1.83%, p = 0.94), but a trend towards more TMB (0.47% vs. 1.04%, p = 0.07) with FA. These outcomes were consistent across the subgroups of patients with ST-elevation MI, non-ST-elevation-ACS and stable coronary artery disease. Finally, QoL did not differ between RA and FA. CONCLUSIONS: In this contemporary GABI-R cohort, in which access site was left to the discretion of the operator, both access routes were safe and equal concerning QoL (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT02066623).

Two year efficacy and safety of small versus large ABSORB bioresorbable vascular scaffolds of ≤18 mm device length: A subgroup analysis of the German-Austrian ABSORB RegIstRy (GABI-R).

AIMS: The ABSORB bioresorbable vascular scaffold raised safety concerns due to higher rates of scaffold thrombosis (ScT) and adequate scaffold diameter and length for scaffold technology. Smaller scaffold diameter (SScD, 2.5 mm) was an infrequently quoted predictor of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Therefore, we evaluated the impact of SScD compared to large scaffold diameter (LScD, ≥3 mm) of ≤18 mm device length on 2 year outcome in the all-comer real life GABI-R cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: We compared patients with implanted LScD (1341 patients) vs. SScD (444 patients) of ≤18 mm device length. Patients with LScD more often presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (35.8% vs. 20.6%, p < 0.0001) and single-vessel disease (50.6% vs. 36.5% p < 0.0001). After a 24 months follow-up, there was no difference in regard of MACE (9.66% vs. 12.31%, p = 0.14) or definite/probable ST (2.47% vs. 2.82%, p = 0.71). Despite no difference in target lesion revascularisations (TLR) (5.81% vs. 7.71%, p = 0.18), there was a higher need for target vessel revascularisation (TVR) in the SScD-group (11.57% vs. 7.51%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared to LScD, SScD of ≤18 mm device length demonstrated comparable safety in regard to MACE and ScT as well as efficacy in regard to TLR. Resorbable scaffold technology should not be restricted to large vessel diameters. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02066623.

C-reactive protein in human atherogenesis: facts and fiction.

The role of C-reactive protein (CRP) in atherosclerosis is controversially discussed. Whereas initial experimental studies suggested a pathogenic role for CRP in atherogenesis, more recent genetic data from Mendelian randomization trials failed to provide evidence for a causative role of CRP in cardiovascular disease. Also, experimental results from laboratories all over the world were indeed contradictory, partly because of species differences in CRP biology and partly because data were not accurately evaluated. Here we summarize the published data from experimental work with mainly human material in order to avoid confusion based on species differences in CRP biology. Experimental work needs to be reevaluated after reconsideration of some traditional rules in research: (1) in order to understand a molecule's role in disease it may be helpful to be aware of its role in physiology; (2) it is necessary to define the disease entity that experimental CRP research deals with; (3) the scientific consensus is as follows: do not try to prove your hypothesis. Specific CRP inhibition followed by use of CRP inhibitors in controlled clinical trials may be the only way to prove or disprove a causative role for CRP in cardiovascular disease.