Impact of body mass on P2Y12-inhibitor de-escalation in acute coronary syndromes-a substudy of the TROPICAL-ACS trial.

AIMS: Clinical guidelines recommend de-escalation antiplatelet strategies to reduce bleeding risk in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients, albeit with a weak recommendation. This substudy of the TROPICAL-ACS trial aimed to determine the impact of body mass on the efficacy of a platelet function testing-guided de-escalation regimen in ACS patients after percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients were randomized to prasugrel (control group) or a platelet function testing-guided regimen with clopidogrel or prasugrel defined after 1-week clopidogrel. The primary endpoint was the net clinical benefit [cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) 2-5 bleeding] for 12 months. Overweight was defined as a body mass index >25 kg/m2.Patients without overweight showed a significant net clinical benefit from the de-escalation strategy, while in overweight cases de-escalation was comparable to prasugrel treatment [hazard ratio (HR): 0.52; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.31-0.88; P = 0.013 and HR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.69-1.31, P = 0.717, P-non-inferiority = 0.03, respectively, P-interaction = 0.053]. The benefit of de-escalation in terms of the risk of bleeding or of the ischaemic events did not reach statistical significance. Bleeding events with de-escalation were less frequent in non-overweight patients but comparable in overweight patients (HR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.30-1.03; P = 0.057 and HR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.64-1.41, respectively, P-interaction = 0.147). Non-overweight patients had lower ischaemic event rates with de-escalation, while overweight cases had slightly less (HR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.18-1.25; P = 0.128 and HR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.53-1.50, respectively, P-interaction = 0.261). CONCLUSION: The strategy of guided dual antiplatelet therapy de-escalation was associated with a significant net clinical benefit in non-overweight patients, while the two strategies were equivalent in overweight patients.

Extensive signal integration by the phytohormone protein network.

Plant hormones coordinate responses to environmental cues with developmental programs1, and are fundamental for stress resilience and agronomic yield2. The core signalling pathways underlying the effects of phytohormones have been elucidated by genetic screens and hypothesis-driven approaches, and extended by interactome studies of select pathways3. However, fundamental questions remain about how information from different pathways is integrated. Genetically, most phenotypes seem to be regulated by several hormones, but transcriptional profiling suggests that hormones trigger largely exclusive transcriptional programs4. We hypothesized that protein-protein interactions have an important role in phytohormone signal integration. Here, we experimentally generated a systems-level map of the Arabidopsis phytohormone signalling network, consisting of more than 2,000 binary protein-protein interactions. In the highly interconnected network, we identify pathway communities and hundreds of previously unknown pathway contacts that represent potential points of crosstalk. Functional validation of candidates in seven hormone pathways reveals new functions for 74% of tested proteins in 84% of candidate interactions, and indicates that a large majority of signalling proteins function pleiotropically in several pathways. Moreover, we identify several hundred largely small-molecule-dependent interactions of hormone receptors. Comparison with previous reports suggests that noncanonical and nontranscription-mediated receptor signalling is more common than hitherto appreciated.

Publisher Correction: Extensive signal integration by the phytohormone protein network.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Smoking and outcomes following guided de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment in acute coronary syndrome patients: a substudy from the randomized TROPICAL-ACS trial.

AIMS: Prior analyses disclosed variations in antiplatelet drug response and clinical outcomes between smokers and non-smokers, thus the safety and efficacy of any dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) de-escalation strategy may differ in relation to smoking status. Hence, we assessed the impact of smoking on clinical outcomes and adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation following guided de-escalation of DAPT in invasively managed acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: The multicentre TROPICAL-ACS trial randomized 2610 biomarker-positive ACS patients 1:1 to standard treatment with prasugrel for 12 months (control group) or a platelet function testing guided de-escalation of DAPT. Current smokers (n = 1182) showed comparable event rates between study groups [6.6% vs. 6.6%; hazard ratio (HR) 1.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64-1.56, P > 0.99]. In non-smokers (n = 1428), a guided DAPT de-escalation was associated with a lower 1-year incidence of the primary endpoint [cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or bleeding ≥ Grade 2 according to Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) criteria] compared with control group patients (7.9% vs. 11.0%; HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.50-0.99, P = 0.048). This reduction was mainly driven by a lower rate of BARC ≥ Grade 2 bleedings (5.2% vs. 7.7%; HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.45-1.03, P = 0.066). There was no significant interaction of smoking status with treatment effects of guided DAPT de-escalation (Pint = 0.23). Adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation values were higher in current smokers [median 28 U, interquartile range (IQR: 20-40)] vs. non-smoker [median 24 U (16-25), P < 0.0001] in the control group and in current smokers [median 42 U, IQR (27-68)] vs. non-smoker [median 37 U, IQR (25-55), P < 0.001] in the monitoring group. CONCLUSION: Guided DAPT de-escalation appears to be equally safe and effective in smokers and non-smokers. Regardless of smoking status and especially for those patients deemed unsuitable for 1 year of potent platelet inhibition this DAPT strategy might be used as an alternative antiplatelet treatment regimen.

Updated Expert Consensus Statement on Platelet Function and Genetic Testing for Guiding P2Y12 Receptor Inhibitor Treatment in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor is the standard treatment for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The availability of different P2Y12 receptor inhibitors (clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor) with varying levels of potency has enabled physicians to contemplate individualized treatment regimens, which may include escalation or de-escalation of P2Y12-inhibiting therapy. Indeed, individualized and alternative DAPT strategies may be chosen according to the clinical setting (stable coronary artery disease vs. acute coronary syndrome), the stage of the disease (early- vs. long-term treatment), and patient risk for ischemic and bleeding complications. A tailored DAPT approach may be potentially guided by platelet function testing (PFT) or genetic testing. Although the routine use of PFT or genetic testing in percutaneous coronary intervention-treated patients is not recommended, recent data have led to an update in guideline recommendations that allow considering selective use of PFT for DAPT de-escalation. However, guidelines do not expand on when to implement the selective use of such assays into decision making for personalized treatment approaches. Therefore, an international expert consensus group of key leaders from North America, Asia, and Europe with expertise in the field of antiplatelet treatment was convened. This document updates 2 prior consensus papers on this topic and summarizes the contemporary updated expert consensus recommendations for the selective use of PFT or genotyping in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Platelet reactivity and clinical outcomes in acute coronary syndrome patients treated with prasugrel and clopidogrel: a pre-specified exploratory analysis from the TROPICAL-ACS trial.

AIMS: The value of platelet function testing (PFT) in predicting clinical outcomes and guiding P2Y12-inhibitor treatment is uncertain. In a pre-specified sub-study of the TROPICAL-ACS trial, we assessed ischaemic and bleeding risks according to high platelet reactivity (HPR) and low platelet reactivity (LPR) to ADP in patients receiving uniform prasugrel vs. PFT-guided clopidogrel or prasugrel. METHODS AND RESULTS: Acute coronary syndrome patients with PFT done 14 days after hospital discharge were included with prior randomization to uniform prasugrel for 12 months (control group, no treatment modification) vs. early de-escalation from prasugrel to clopidogrel and PFT-guided maintenance treatment (HPR: switch-back to prasugrel, non-HPR: clopidogrel). The composite ischaemic endpoint included cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, while key safety outcome was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) 2-5 bleeding, from PFT until 12 months. We identified 2527 patients with PFT results available: 1266 were randomized to the guided and 1261 to the control group. Before treatment adjustment, HPR was more prevalent in the guided group (40% vs. 15%), while LPR was more common in control patients (27% vs. 11%). Compared to control patients without HPR on prasugrel (n = 1073), similar outcomes were observed in guided patients kept on clopidogrel [n = 755, hazard ratio (HR): 1.06 (0.57-1.95), P = 0.86] and also in patients with HPR on clopidogrel switched to prasugrel [n = 511, HR: 0.96 (0.47-1.96), P = 0.91]. In contrast, HPR on prasugrel was associated with a higher risk for ischaemic events in control patients [n = 188, HR: 2.16 (1.01-4.65), P = 0.049]. Low platelet reactivity was an independent predictor of bleeding [HR: 1.74 (1.18-2.56), P = 0.005], without interaction (Pint = 0.76) between study groups. CONCLUSION: Based on this substudy of a randomized trial, selecting prasugrel or clopidogrel based on PFT resulted in similar ischaemic outcomes as uniform prasugrel therapy without HPR. Although infrequent, HPR on prasugrel was associated with increased risk of ischaemic events. Low platelet reactivity was a strong and independent predictor of bleeding both on prasugrel and clopidogrel.

Gender and Outcomes following Guided De-Escalation of Antiplatelet Treatment in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: The TROPICAL-ACS Gender Substudy.

OBJECTIVES: This prespecified analysis of the TROPICAL-ACS trial aimed to assess the impact of gender on clinical outcomes and platelet reactivity (PR) following guided de-escalation of dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. BACKGROUND: Guided de-escalation of DAPT was recently identified as an effective alternative treatment strategy in ACS. METHODS: We used Cox proportional hazards models and linear regression analysis to assess the interaction of gender with clinical endpoints and PR. RESULTS: In both male (n = 2,052) and female (n = 558) patients, the 1-year incidence of the primary endpoint did not differ in guided de-escalation versus control group patients (male: 7.0% vs. 9.0%; hazard ratio [HR], 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57-1.06, p = 0.11; female: 8.4% vs. 9.2%; HR, 0.92, 95% CI, 0.53-1.62, p = 0.76, p int = 0.60). The 1-year incidence of combined ischemic events (male: 2.5% vs. 3.3%; HR, 0.76, 95% CI, 0.46-1.26, p = 0.29; female: 2.2% vs. 2.8%; HR, 0.78,95% CI, 0.27-2.25, p = 0.65, p int = 0.96) as well as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium ≥ 2 bleeding (male: 4.6% vs. 6.0%; HR, 0.77, 95% CI, 0.52-1.12, p = 0.17; female: 6.2% vs. 6.4%; HR, 0.99, 95% CI, 0.51-1.92, p = 0.97, p int = 0.51) was similar in the guided de-escalation versus control group for both male and female patients. Interaction testing revealed no significant impact of gender on PR levels (prasugrel or clopidogrel) across treatment groups (p int = 0.72). CONCLUSION: Guided de-escalation of DAPT appears to be equally safe and effective in women and men. Especially in patients with increased bleeding risk and independent from gender, a guided DAPT de-escalation strategy may be used as an alternative treatment strategy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https//www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique Identifier: NCT: 01959451.

Diabetes and outcomes following guided de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment in acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a pre-specified analysis from the randomised TROPICAL-ACS trial.

AIMS: A guided de-escalation of P2Y12 inhibitor treatment is considered an alternative treatment strategy in ACS patients undergoing PCI. However, the safety and efficacy of this strategy may differ in diabetic vs non-diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of platelet function testing (PFT)-guided de-escalation of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in ACS patients with and without diabetes mellitus. METHODS AND RESULTS: The TROPICAL-ACS trial randomised 2,610 biomarker-positive ACS patients 1:1 to either standard treatment with prasugrel for 12 months (control group) or PFT-guided DAPT de-escalation. The association and interaction of diabetes on clinical endpoints across treatment groups and on platelet reactivity was investigated. In diabetic patients (n=527, 20.2%), the overall event rates were high and the one-year incidence of the primary endpoint (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke or bleeding ≥grade 2) did not differ between guided de-escalation and control group patients (12.5% vs 10.8%; HR 1.17, 95% CI: 0.71-1.93, p=0.55). In non-diabetic patients (n=2,083, 79.8%), the one-year incidence of the primary endpoint was lower in the guided de-escalation vs control group (6.1% vs 8.5%; HR 0.71, 95% CI: 0.52-0.99, p=0.04, pint=0.10). Diabetic patients showed higher platelet reactivity levels in both control (=on prasugrel, p=0.01) and guided de-escalation group (=on clopidogrel, p=0.005) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although diabetic status did not significantly interfere with the treatment effects of guided DAPT de-escalation, our results suggest that this approach might be safe and effective in non-diabetic patients. Further investigation is definitely warranted in diabetic patients.

Guided de-escalation of DAPT in acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with BVS implantation: a post-hoc analysis from the randomized TROPICAL-ACS trial.

To investigate the safety and efficacy of an early platelet function testing (PFT)-guided de-escalation of dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS). Early DAPT de-escalation is a new non-inferior alternative to 12-months DAPT in patients with biomarker positive ACS treated with stent implantation. In this post-hoc analysis of the TROPICAL-ACS trial, which randomized 2610 ACS patients to a PFT-guided DAPT de-escalation (switch from prasugrel to clopidogrel) or to control group (uniform prasugrel), we compared clinical outcomes of patients (n = 151) who received a BVS during the index PCI. The frequency of the primary endpoint (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke or BARC ≥ 2 bleeding) was 8.8% (n = 6) in the de-escalation group vs. 12.0% (n = 10) in the control group (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.26-1.98, p = 0.52) at 12 months. One early definite stent thrombosis (ST) occurred in the control group (day 19) and 1 possible ST (sudden cardiovascular death) in the de-escalation group (day 86), both despite prasugrel treatment and in a background of high on-treatment platelet reactivity assessed at day 14 after randomization (ADP-induced platelet aggregation values of 108 U and 59 U, respectively). A PFT-guided DAPT de-escalation strategy could potentially be a safe and effective strategy in ACS patients with BVS implantation but the level of platelet inhibition may be of particular importance. This hypothesis-generating post-hoc analysis requires verification in larger studies with upcoming BVS platforms.

Diurnal Variability of On-Treatment Platelet Reactivity in Clopidogrel versus Prasugrel Treated Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: A Pre-Specified TROPICAL-ACS Sub-Study.

Long-term evidence supports a clustering of cardiovascular events in the early morning and smaller mechanistic studies in aspirin-treated patients have shown increased platelet reactivity at the end of the dosing interval. Comparative pharmacodynamic analyses for different adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor inhibitors in percutaneous coronary intervention-treated acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients are lacking and this pre-specified analysis from the randomized Testing Responsiveness To Platelet Inhibition On Chronic Antiplatelet Treatment For Acute Coronary Syndromes (TROPICAL-ACS) trial aimed for the first time at investigating diurnal variability of on-treatment platelet reactivity in clopidogrel versus prasugrel treated patients. TROPICAL-ACS randomized 2,610 ACS patients to either treatment with prasugrel (control group) or to a platelet function testing-guided de-escalation of anti-platelet treatment with a switch to clopidogrel (guided de-escalation group). This study design enabled a diurnal comparison of on-prasugrel versus on-clopidogrel treatment platelet reactivity under steady-state conditions. For 2,526 patients (97%), both the exact time of blood sampling and the ADP-induced platelet aggregation value (in units, Multiplate analyser) were available. Platelet reactivity in patients on clopidogrel (n = 1,265) was higher and subject to significant diurnal variability (p = 0.019) with a peaking of platelet reactivity in the early morning (5-10 a.m.). In prasugrel-treated patients (n = 1,261), there was no sign for diurnal variability (p = 0.174) or a peaking of platelet reactivity in the morning. The potent ADP receptor inhibitor prasugrel is not subject to diurnal variability while we observed a significant diurnal variability of on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity. The clinical impact of this observation may differ for patients with and without an adequate response to clopidogrel treatment and the issue of diurnal variability of platelet reactivity in ACS patients warrants further investigation.

Platelet Reactivity and Early Outcomes after Transfemoral Aortic Valve Implantation.

Beyond thromboembolic events, peri-procedural bleeding remains one of the most frequent complications after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The majority of TAVI patients receive a dual anti-platelet treatment (DAPT) regimen. This analysis from the EVERY-TAVI register database aimed to analyse whether the level of on-treatment adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet reactivity predicts early outcomes at 30 days after TAVI. A total of 146 consecutive TAVI patients on DAPT who underwent platelet function testing with the Multiplate analyser were included here. Definition of bleeding events was done according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 (VARC-2) classification. In our cohort, a status of low platelet reactivity (LPR, ≤ 18 units) was observed in 79 patients (54%), while high platelet reactivity (HPR, ≥ 46 units) was present in 18 patients (12%). At 30-day follow-up, the incidence of VARC-2 bleeds was 45.6% (n = 36) in LPR patients and 23.9% (n = 16) in patients without LPR (hazard ratio [HR] 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-3.79; p = 0.01). In age-adjusted multivariate analysis, a status of LPR was independently associated with VARC-2 bleeding events (HRadj, 2.06, 95% CI, 1.14-3.71; p = 0.02). HPR was not associated with the 30-day risk of death, stroke, or myocardial infarction (p ≥ 0.43). In summary, presence of LPR was associated with bleeding events in patients undergoing TAVI while presence of HPR was not associated with ischaemic outcomes at 30 days. The value of platelet function testing for bleeding risk prediction and for a possible guidance of anti-thrombotic treatment in the elderly TAVI population warrants further investigation.

Genotype-Phenotype Association and Impact on Outcomes following Guided De-Escalation of Anti-Platelet Treatment in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: The TROPICAL-ACS Genotyping Substudy.

BACKGROUND: Phenotype-guided de-escalation (PGDE) of P2Y12-inhibitor treatment with an early switch from prasugrel to clopidogrel was identified as an effective alternative treatment strategy in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The Testing Responsiveness to Platelet Inhibition on Chronic Antiplatelet Treatment for Acute Coronary Syndromes (TROPICAL-ACS) Genotyping Substudy aimed to investigate whether CYP2C19 genotypes correlate with on-treatment platelet reactivity (PR) in ACS patients treated with clopidogrel or prasugrel and thus might be useful for guidance of early de-escalation of anti-platelet treatment. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 603 ACS consecutive patients were enrolled in four centres (23.1% of the overall TROPICAL-ACS population). Rapid genotyping (Spartan RX) for CYP2C19*2, *3 and *17 alleles was performed. Associations between PR and the primary and secondary endpoints of the TROPICAL-ACS trial and CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*17 carrier status were evaluated.For the PGDE group, the on-clopidogrel PR significantly differed across CYP2C19*2 (p < 0.001) and CYP2C19*17 genotypes (p = 0.05). Control group patients were not related (p = 0.90, p = 0.74) to on-prasugrel PR. For high PR versus non-high PR patients within the PGDE group, significant differences were observed for the rate of CYP2C19*2 allele carriers (43% vs. 28%, p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*17 carrier status correlates with PR in ACS patients treated with clopidogrel and thus might be useful for pre-selecting patients who will and who may not be suitable for PGDE of anti-platelet treatment. Regarding phenotype-guided treatment, we did not observe added benefit of genotyping to predict ischaemic and bleeding risk in patients who underwent a PGDE approach. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https//www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique Identifier: NCT: 01959451.

LMU Munich: platelet inhibition novel aspects on platelet inhibition and function.

A core research area in the Department of Cardiology at Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich focuses on antiplatelet therapy, its translational aspects, and its underlying mechanism with respect to platelet physiology. We are conducting a broad range of investigator-initiated clinical trials (phase II-IV) and preclinical studies on the topic of antithrombotic therapy for percutaneous coronary intervention patients, platelet activation, and reactivity as well as on novel inhibitors of platelet adhesion. Just recently, we completed the large multi-centre investigator-initiated TROPICAL-ACS trial on guided early de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients (Sibbing et al. in Lancet 390:1747-1757, 2017; Sibbing et al. in Thromb Haemost 117:1240-1248), done at 33 sites in Europe. Furthermore, besides other ongoing clinical studies, we initiated and are currently recruiting patients for the multi-centre randomized APixaban versus PhenpRocoumon in Patients With ACS and AF: APPROACH-ACS-AF study as well as for the multi-centre phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of revacept in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease (Revacept/CAD/02) trial.

Age and outcomes following guided de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment in acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: results from the randomized TROPICAL-ACS trial.

Aims: Guided de-escalation of P2Y12-inhibitor treatment was recently identified as an effective alternative treatment strategy in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Safety and efficacy of this strategy may differ in relation to patient's age. This pre-specified analysis of the TROPICAL-ACS trial aimed to assess the impact of age on clinical outcomes following guided de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment in ACS patients. Methods and results: Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 fashion to either standard treatment with prasugrel for 12 months (control group) or to a guided de-escalation regimen (1 week prasugrel followed by 1 week clopidogrel and platelet function testing guided maintenance therapy with clopidogrel or prasugrel from day 14 after hospital discharge; guided de-escalation group). We used Cox regression models to assess the associations of age on clinical endpoints and interactions. In younger patients (age ≤70, n = 2240), the 1 year incidence of the primary endpoint (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or bleeding ≥ grade 2 according to Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria) was significantly lower in guided de-escalation vs. control group [5.9% vs. 8.3%; hazard ratio (HR) 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51-0.96; P = 0.03, number needed to treat = 42]. In elderly patients (age >70, n = 370), the absolute risk of events was higher without significant differences between guided de-escalation vs. control group (15.5% vs. 13.6%; HR 1.17, 95% CI 0.69-2.01; P = 0.56). When the impact of age, as a continuous variable, was analysed on outcomes after guided de-escalation vs. control treatment, an increasing relative risk reduction was observed in the primary endpoint by decreasing age (Pint = 0.02), due to significant reductions in bleeding. Conclusion: Treatment effects of guided de-escalation for P2Y12 inhibitors depend on patient's age with younger patients deriving a significant net clinical benefit. Although the safety and efficacy of guided de-escalation in the elderly was similar to uniform prasugrel therapy, this should be further investigated due to the limited sample size of this group.

Guided de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (TROPICAL-ACS): a randomised, open-label, multicentre trial.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend potent platelet inhibition with prasugrel or ticagrelor for 12 months after an acute coronary syndrome managed with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the greatest anti-ischaemic benefit of potent antiplatelet drugs over the less potent clopidogrel occurs early, while most excess bleeding events arise during chronic treatment. Hence, a stage-adapted treatment with potent platelet inhibition in the acute phase and de-escalation to clopidogrel in the maintenance phase could be an alternative approach. We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of early de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment from prasugrel to clopidogrel guided by platelet function testing (PFT). METHODS: In this investigator-initiated, randomised, open-label, assessor-blinded, multicentre trial (TROPICAL-ACS) done at 33 sites in Europe, patients were enrolled if they had biomarker-positive acute coronary syndrome with successful PCI and a planned duration of dual antiplatelet treatment of 12 months. Enrolled patients were randomly assigned (1:1) using an internet-based randomisation procedure with a computer-generated block randomisation with stratification across study sites to either standard treatment with prasugrel for 12 months (control group) or a step-down regimen (1 week prasugrel followed by 1 week clopidogrel and PFT-guided maintenance therapy with clopidogrel or prasugrel from day 14 after hospital discharge; guided de-escalation group). The assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was net clinical benefit (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke or bleeding grade 2 or higher according to Bleeding Academic Research Consortium [BARC]) criteria) 1 year after randomisation (non-inferiority hypothesis; margin of 30%). Analysis was intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01959451, and EudraCT, 2013-001636-22. FINDINGS: Between Dec 2, 2013, and May 20, 2016, 2610 patients were assigned to study groups; 1304 to the guided de-escalation group and 1306 to the control group. The primary endpoint occurred in 95 patients (7%) in the guided de-escalation group and in 118 patients (9%) in the control group (pnon-inferiority=0·0004; hazard ratio [HR] 0·81 [95% CI 0·62-1·06], psuperiority=0·12). Despite early de-escalation, there was no increase in the combined risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke in the de-escalation group (32 patients [3%]) versus in the control group (42 patients [3%]; pnon-inferiority=0·0115). There were 64 BARC 2 or higher bleeding events (5%) in the de-escalation group versus 79 events (6%) in the control group (HR 0·82 [95% CI 0·59-1·13]; p=0·23). INTERPRETATION: Guided de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment was non-inferior to standard treatment with prasugrel at 1 year after PCI in terms of net clinical benefit. Our trial shows that early de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment can be considered as an alternative approach in patients with acute coronary syndrome managed with PCI. FUNDING: Klinikum der Universität München, Roche Diagnostics, Eli Lilly, and Daiichi Sankyo.

Transcatheter treatment of severe tricuspid regurgitation using the edge-to-edge repair technique.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the procedural feasibility and short-term durability of the transcatheter tricuspid valve edge-to-edge repair technique in highly symptomatic patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR). METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighteen consecutive patients suffering from severe right-sided heart failure (NYHA Class III-IV), primarily due to moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation, were included in the study. Applying a modified steering technique for the clip delivery system, six patients were treated for isolated severe TR, while 12 patients were treated for moderate to severe TR and concomitant severe mitral regurgitation. The primary objectives were procedural success, defined as reduction of at least one TR grade, and 30-day echocardiographic and clinical outcomes. A total of 41 clips (2.3±0.7 per patient) were placed into the tricuspid valve of high surgical risk patients (EuroSCORE II: 10±8%). Procedural success was achieved in all patients; no MACCE occurred in hospital. The presence of a TR grade ≥3 was reduced from 94% (17 patients) before the procedure to 33% (six patients) at 30-day follow-up (p<0.001). Sixteen patients (89%) reported an improvement in NYHA functional class at 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: Applying a modified steering technique, the edge-to-edge repair technique can be successfully used for the treatment of TR. At 30-day follow-up, the short-term durability of TR reduction appeared promising and the majority of patients improved clinically. Further studies with larger patient populations and longer follow-up have to define the role of this novel treatment option for patients with right-sided heart failure and severe TR.

Current Role of Platelet Function Testing in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

There is interindividual variability in the pharmacodynamic response to antiplatelet medications. High on-treatment platelet reactivity, reflecting a failure to achieve adequate platelet inhibition, is associated with a higher risk for thrombotic events. Low on-treatment platelet reactivity, or an enhanced response to antiplatelet medications, has been linked to a higher risk for bleeding. There is evidence for the prognostic value of platelet function testing for risk prediction. This review presents the current evidence regarding platelet function testing in patients undergoing percutaneous cardiac intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting. The possible role of platelet function testing for individualized antiplatelet treatment is highlighted.

A randomised trial on platelet function-guided de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment in ACS patients undergoing PCI. Rationale and design of the Testing Responsiveness to Platelet Inhibition on Chronic Antiplatelet Treatment for Acute Coronary Syndromes (TROPICAL-ACS) Trial.

Outcomes of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have been significantly improved with the use of potent P2Y12 receptor inhibitors like prasugrel. While most of the ischaemic risk reduction for prasugrel versus clopidogrel was demonstrated in the early treatment period, the risk of bleeding became particularly prominent during the chronic course of therapy. It may therefore be a valid approach to substitute prasugrel for clopidogrel in the early phase of chronic antiplatelet treatment after PCI. In the Testing Responsiveness To Platelet Inhibition On Chronic Antiplatelet Treatment For Acute Coronary Syndromes (TROPICAL-ACS) trial, we aim to compare standard prasugrel therapy with a de-escalating antiplatelet treatment approach guided by platelet function testing (PFT). The study is an investigator-initiated European multicentre, randomised clinical trial in biomarker-positive ACS patients after successful PCI. Two thousand six hundred patients will be randomised prior to hospital discharge in a 1:1 fashion to either receive standard prasugrel therapy (control group) or de-escalating therapy (one-week prasugrel followed by one-week clopidogrel and PFT-guided maintenance therapy from day 14 after hospital discharge, monitoring group). Patients of the monitoring group with high on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity (HPR) based on Multiplate analyzer testing (HPR: ≥ 46U per consensus definition) will be switched back to prasugrel, whereas those without HPR (<46 U) will continue clopidogrel treatment. The overall study treatment duration will be one year in both groups. The primary endpoint of the study is net clinical benefit (combined incidence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke and bleeding ≥ grade 2 according to BARC criteria) one-year after randomisation. TROPICAL-ACS is the first large-scale, randomised controlled trial assessing the clinical value of a PFT-guided de-escalation of antiplatelet treatment in biomarker positive ACS patients undergoing PCI.