Proton-pump inhibitor use by coronary artery disease patients is associated with fewer chest pain episodes, emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

BACKGROUND: Patients with coronary artery disease presenting to an emergency department with chest pain are likely to undergo hospitalization in an attempt to elucidate its aetiology. AIM: To examine whether coronary artery disease patients receiving proton-pump inhibitor therapy are associated with fewer chest pain events and evaluations. METHODS: A veteran patient population with documented coronary artery disease was identified, and chest pain episodes, emergency department visits and hospitalizations for chest pain were followed over 2 years. Patient outcomes between proton-pump inhibitor use and non-use of proton-pump inhibitor therapy were compared. RESULTS: In 415 male patients, 23% utilized a proton-pump inhibitor and 77% did not. Proton-pump inhibitor therapy was associated with fewer chest pain episodes (12% vs. 26%, P = 0.002), emergency department visits, (12% vs. 24%, P = 0.044) and hospitalizations (13% vs. 24%, P = 0.086). The incidence of adverse events was decreased in the proton-pump inhibitor group: 70% fewer chest pain episodes (P = 0.002, RR = 3.3), 55% fewer emergency department visits (P = 0.049, RR = 2.2) and 53% fewer hospitalizations (P = 0.064, RR = 2.1). By multivariate analysis, proton-pump inhibitor therapy independently predicted a reduced prevalence of patients experiencing chest pain, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations [OR = 0.09 (0.04-0.21); 0.15 (0.06-0.40); 0.14 (0.05-0.40); all P < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Proton-pump inhibitor therapy for veteran coronary artery disease patients is associated with fewer chest pain episodes, emergency department visits and hospitalizations for chest pain.

C Reactive protein, moderate alcohol consumption, and long term prognosis after successful coronary stenting: four year results from the GENERATION study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of moderate alcohol consumption on long term prognosis after successful coronary stenting, and whether it could be related to preprocedural plasma C reactive protein (CRP). DESIGN: Part of the prospectively designed GENERATION study which investigated the impact of several biochemical factors, including plasma CRP, on long term prognosis after coronary stenting. SETTING: Tertiary referral centre. PATIENTS: 483 consecutive patients with stable or unstable coronary artery disease who underwent successful coronary stenting and were followed for up to four years. Information about alcohol consumption was collected prospectively. INTERVENTIONS: Successful coronary stenting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The incidence of the composite end point of readmission to hospital for unstable angina, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or cardiac death, whichever occurred first. RESULTS: By the end of follow up the incidence of the composite end point was 22.8%. Patients with a baseline plasma CRP concentration of < 0.68 mg/dl (defined by ROC analysis) did not show any difference in the composite end point (p = 0.9) or its components, regardless of the amount of alcohol consumed during follow up. However, among patients with plasma CRP concentration of > or = 0.68 mg/dl, those who drank moderately had a lower incidence of the composite end point (p < 0.001) or its components. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate alcohol consumption may have a beneficial impact on the long term prognosis following successful coronary stenting. The extent of this effect is positively related to preprocedural inflammatory status. An anti-inflammatory action of moderate alcohol consumption cannot be excluded.

Inflammatory and thrombotic mechanisms in coronary atherosclerosis.

Many molecular and cellular mechanisms link inflammation and haemostatic mechanisms. Inflammation, and perhaps chronic infection, may play important roles in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic lesions are heavily infiltrated by cellular components associated with inflammation (macrophages and T lymphocytes), and acute plaque rupture is also associated with inflammatory components. Several markers of systemic inflammation may predict future cardiovascular events in apparently healthy subjects as well as in patients with chronic and acute syndromes. There may thus be therapeutic potential in modifying the atherosclerotic, vasomotor, and thrombotic components of ischaemic heart disease.

Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty in comparison with open mitral valve commissurotomy for mitral stenosis during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to compare the maternal and fetal outcomes of patients with severe mitral stenosis submitted to percutaneous balloon dilation versus open mitral valve commissurotomy (MVC) during pregnancy. BACKGROUND: Heart failure in patients with mitral stenosis complicating pregnancy is a common problem in developing countries. Since 1984, percutaneous dilation of the mitral valve using a balloon catheter has become a therapeutic alternative to open heart surgery. Although the efficacy of percutaneous mitral valve balloon dilation is well established, its results have never before been compared with the results of commissurotomy during pregnancy. METHODS: We compared the clinical and obstetric complications in 45 women who were treated with percutaneous mitral valve balloon dilation (group I, n = 21; from 1990 to 1995) or open MVC (group II, n = 24; from 1985 to 1990) for severe heart failure due to mitral stenosis during pregnancy. RESULTS: In our study, percutaneous balloon dilation of the mitral valve had a success rate of 95% (Gorlin formula) and 90.5% (echocardiographic "pressure half-time" method), as demonstrated by the final mitral valve area achieved. This improvement was followed by a marked decrease in the mitral valve gradient, left atrial pressure and mean pulmonary artery pressure. Patients in both groups had similar improvements in symptoms. Patients who underwent percutaneous balloon dilation had significantly fewer fetal complications, with a reduction in fetal and neonatal mortality (1 death in group I vs. 8 in group II, p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty is safe and effective and appears to be preferable for the fetus, compared with open MVC during pregnancy.

Dysfunctional endothelial nitric oxide biosynthesis in healthy smokers with impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms involved in the dysfunction of both endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (EDV) and NO biosynthesis related to smoking are unclear. In this study, EDV was assessed in healthy smokers and nonsmokers in vivo and, using serum from the same individuals, was related to the NO biosynthetic pathway in vitro. METHODS AND RESULTS: Flow-mediated EDV of the brachial artery was measured in 23 male patients (8 nonsmokers and 15 smokers). Serum was collected, added to confluent ( approximately 85%) monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and incubated for 12 hours. Basal and substance P-stimulated NO production was measured. The HUVECs used for measuring basal NO production were lysed, and both endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) protein expression and eNOS activity were determined. EDV was lower in smokers compared with nonsmokers (P<0.001). HUVECs treated with serum from smokers compared with nonsmokers showed significantly lower basal (P<0.0001) and stimulated (P<0.02) NO production, higher eNOS expression (P<0.0001), but lower eNOS activity (P<0.004). There was a significant positive correlation between in vivo EDV and in vitro substance P-stimulated NO production (rho=0.57, P<0.01) and between basal NO production and eNOS activity (r=0.54, P<0.008) and a negative correlation between basal NO production and eNOS protein expression (r=-0.60, P<0.003). CONCLUIONS: This is the first study to combine an in vivo model with a near-physiological in vitro model to demonstrate an association between decreased NO production and reduced EDV. Cigarette smoking was associated with reduced EDV, NO generation, and eNOS activity in the presence of increased eNOS protein expression.

Pneumoperitoneum upregulates preproendothelin-1 messenger RNA.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic pneumoperitoneum has been shown to decrease glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urine volume (UV). Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent renal vasoconstrictor, has been implicated. The purpose of this study was to determine renal function, ET-1 gene expression, and peptide localization in kidneys subjected to CO2 pneumoperitoneum. METHODS: Experiments were performed in three groups of anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats in which GFR and UV were measured before, during, and after insufflation. In the first group (n = 8), pneumoperitoneum (10 mmHg) was established for 30 min. The second group (n = 4) underwent a sham operation without pneumoperitoneum. In the final group (n = 4), kidneys were obtained from normal control animals without any prior surgical instrumentation. PreproET-1 (ppET-1) mRNA levels were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The ET-1 peptide was localized within kidneys by immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: Pneumoperitoneum caused a significant (p < 0.05) 87% decrease in GFR and a 79% decrease in UV from baseline, with a return to baseline values after desufflation. RT-PCR showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in expression of ppET-1 mRNA in the laparoscopic group; it was 3.52 +/- 0.33 densitometric units (DU), as compared to 0.35 +/- 0.06 DU and 0.57 +/- 0.12 DU in the control and sham groups, respectively. IHC showed enhanced expression of the ET-1 peptide in the vascular endothelium and proximal tubular cells of the laparoscopic group compared to the control and sham groups. CONCLUSION: Pneumoperitoneum induces ET-1 gene and peptide upregulation in the kidney. Expression of ET-1 is increased in the renal vasculature and proximal tubular cells. The elevation of ET-1 and its localization may account for some of the renal dysfunction observed during pneumoperitoneum. This suggests that antagonism of ET-1 may be beneficial in patients with renal impairment undergoing prolonged laparoscopic procedures or in protecting allograft function during and after living donor nephrectomy.

Extrinsic compression of the left main coronary artery by a dilated pulmonary artery: clinical, angiographic, and hemodynamic determinants.

Extrinsic compression of the left main coronary artery (LMC) by the pulmonary artery (PA) is a very unusual and poorly understood entity, usually associated with the presence of adult congenital heart disease. We identified 12 patients (age range, 6 months to 55 years) with LMC stenosis (> or = 50%) presumably secondary to compression by a dilated main PA and related to various forms of heart disease (11 congenital, 1 pulmonary hypertension). In all cases, the main PA was dilated with the main PA/aortic root diameter increased (mean, 2.0; normal value, < or = 1.0), and in all but two, PA pressures were increased (> 30 mm Hg systolic). Left coronary trunk stenosis was usually visualized in only one angiographic view (best seen in 45 degrees left anterior oblique, 30 degrees cranial projection). The LMC also appeared to be inferiorly displaced and in close contact with the left aortic sinus (mean angle between sinus and LMC was 23 degrees +/- 13 degrees, a control group was 70 degrees +/- 15 degrees ). In one patient, surgical correction of the dilated PA was associated with a reduction in LMC stenosis from 85% to < 50% and less inferior left main displacement (from 25 degrees to 50 degrees ). Patients with a dilated main PA may exhibit extrinsic LMC compression leading to significant eccentric narrowing and downward displacement of the LMC. In the presence of significant dilatation of the main PA from any etiology, functional and/or anatomic studies should be performed to exclude significant LM obstruction.

High versus low-pressure balloon inflation during multilinktrade mark stent implantation: acute and long-term angiographic results.

We compared the impact of low and high-pressure balloon inflation on acute and late angiographic results of Multilink stent. Low-pressure balloon inflation (9.5 +/- 1.9 atm) was used in 43 stents and high pressure (17.1 +/- 1.5 atm) in 44. A larger immediate luminal gain was achieved in stents with high-pressure balloon inflation (1.80 +/- 0.26 vs. 1.47 +/- 0.62; P = 0.002), resulting in a larger mean diameter in this group (2.71 +/- 0.37 vs. 2.48 +/- 0.47; P = 0.017). At follow-up, a larger luminal diameter was achieved in the high pressure group (1.93 +/- 0.72 vs. 1.45 +/- 0.66; P = 0.002) and a trend to a lower rate of angiographic restenosis (15% vs. 38%, P = 0.08).

Evaluation of myocardial viability in asymptomatic patients early after infarction with perfusion/metabolism single-photon-emission computed tomographic imaging and dobutamine echocardiography.

OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of detection of viability of myocardium in asymptomatic patients early (3-10 days) after Q-wave myocardial infarction on segmental recovery of left ventricular function after elective revascularization. METHODS: Patients were studied with low-dose dobutamine echocardiography (LDDE) and single photon-emission computed tomography with 99mTc sestamibi and [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging. Viability of myocardium was defined as detection of improvement in segmental thickening of left ventricle by LDDE (versus baseline echocardiographic data), uptake of 99mTc sestamibi > 50% of maximum counts, uptake of [18F]-FDG > 50% of maximum normal, combined uptake of 99mTc sestamibi or [18F]-FDG > 50% of normal maximum, uptake of [18F]-FDG > 50% or mismatched pattern (uptake of [18F]-FDG greater than that of 99mTc sestamibi). Functional recovery was defined as improvement of segmental thickening of left ventricle detected at follow-up 8 weeks after infarction (versus baseline resting echocardiographic data). Interpretation of the tests was blinded with respect to the angiographic data and the results of the alternative method. RESULTS: In total 18 patients with 133 left-ventricle segments with abnormal contractile function at baseline were analysed; 29% were hypocontractile and 71% were noncontractile. Examination with LDDE showed that 18% of the segments had normal contractility and 26% were hypocontractile; the respective percentages were 29 and 28% according to follow-up resting echocardiography. Radionuclide tests for viability of myocardium gave positive results in 57% (uptake of [18F]-FDG > 50%) and 62% (uptake of 99mTc sestamibi > 50%) of cases. With respect to segmental analysis, there was a 25-27% positive concordance, a 24-27% negative concordance, and a 48-50% discordance between the LDDE and the radionuclide definitions of viability of myocardium. Additionally, there was no significant difference among sensitivities and specificities for the definitions of viability. The sensitivity was 69% for the uptake of 99mTc sestamibi > 50% criterion, and the highest specificity was 66% for the LDDE. Incorporation of imaging with [18F]-FDG into the analysis yielded a marginally higher sensitivity of 71% for the criterion of uptake of [18F]-FDG or 99mTc sestamibi > 50%, versus imaging with the 99mTc sestamibi alone. CONCLUSION: LDDE was more specific and radionuclide imaging more sensitive for detection of viability of myocardium in asymptomatic patients early after infarction. Possibly defective myocardial metabolization of glucose in the period early after infarction and the specific LDDE protocol applied account for the limited benefit of these studies in terms of facilitating prediction of segmental functional recovery after revascularization in this clinical setting.

In vivo demonstration of an antithrombin effect of abciximab.

Abciximab prolonged the activated clotting time (ACT) in a post hoc analysis from the Evaluation of IIb/IIIa Platelet Receptor Antagonist 7E3 in Preventing Ischemic Complications trial and an in vitro study has suggested an antithrombin effect of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vivo effects of abciximab on ACT and thrombin generation. In 46 patients undergoing coronary intervention, 24 received heparin and abciximab (group I), whereas 22 received heparin alone (group II). All received the same dose (70 U/kg) of heparin. Heparin was given after a baseline ACT, and in group I, abciximab was administered after the 5-minute ACT. Serial ACTs were recorded at baseline, 5, 10, 20, and every 30 minutes thereafter and at the procedure's end. No intervention including balloon angioplasty was performed until after the 20-minute ACT. The prothrombin fragment F1.2 (Nm/L) was measured at baseline, 20 minutes, and at the end of the procedure. Before (baseline) heparin and at 5 minutes, ACTs were similar. Abciximab prolonged ACT by a mean of 34 to 64 seconds starting with the 10-minute ACT and extending to the 50-minute ACT (all p <0.01 vs heparin alone). There was a progressive decrease in the F1.2 with abciximab, and baseline minus end F1.2 was 0.12 +/- 0.02 in group I versus 0.05 +/- 0.04 in group II, p <0.05. These data indicate a significant in vivo effect of abciximab plus heparin in increasing ACT and decreasing F1.2, results that are consistent with an effect on reducing thrombin generation.

Pravastatin: an antithrombotic effect independent of the cholesterol-lowering effect.

Lipid-lowering with statins reduces blood thrombogenicity. However, it is unknown whether this is purely due to LDL-cholesterol reduction, or it is related to a statin or agent specific effect. We investigated the relationship between reduction in blood thrombogenicity and the magnitude of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) during pravastatin therapy. We prospectively followed for 6 months 57 hyperlipidemic patients who initiated therapy with pravastatin, and 36 patients who were randomized into placebo plus diet. Pravastatin-treated patients were grouped according to the LDL-C reduction at 6 months; (i) "adequate LDL-C reduction": LDL-C reduction >30% from baseline or LDL-C<125 mg/dl (n = 38; LDL-C reduction 74 +/- 4 mg/dl; 6-month LDL-C 119 +/- 5 mg/dl); (ii) "inadequate LDL-C reduction": neither of the above criteria (n = 19; LDL-C reduction 31 +/- 5 mg/dl; 6-month LDL-C 158 +/- 6 mg/dl). Placebo patients were divided into those "with LDL-C reduction" (n = 17, mean reduction 21 +/- 5 mg/dl) and those "without LDL reduction" (n = 19). The following parameters were altered at 6 months in both patients with "adequate" and "inadequate" LDL-C reduction: (1) tissue plasminogen activator decreased by 1.4 +/- 0.4 and 1.5 +/- 0.5 ng/ml respectively (p = NS); (2) plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 decreased by 8.7 +/- 2.0 and 10.1 +/- 2.7 ng/ml respectively (p = NS); (3) thrombus formation under dynamic flow conditions decreased by 3.5 +/- 0.9 and 2.8 +/- 1.2 microm2 x 10(3) respectively (p = NS). In contrast, no significant changes from baseline were noted in placebo-treated patients, regardless of their LDL-C reduction category, and multivariate analysis eliminated LDL-C reduction as an independent predictor of reduction in thrombogenicity. Therefore, the reduction in thrombogenicity was not proportional to the magnitude of LDL-C reduction suggesting that a class or agent specific property is primarily responsible for the pro-fibrinolytic/antithrombotic effects observed.

Balloon optimization versus stent study (BOSS): provisional stenting and early recoil after balloon angioplasty.

"Optimal" percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) may have a late restenosis rate similar to stenting. We sought to assess short- and long-term results of a provisional stenting/optimal PTCA approach compared with elective stenting in a prospective, randomized study. A total of 97 patients with discrete, de novo lesions in native coronary arteries > or =3 mm in diameter were randomized 2:1 in PTCA with prolonged perfusion balloon inflation (n = 66) versus elective stenting (n = 31). Recoil after PTCA was assessed by routine delayed angiograms (5 and 20 minutes). Cross over to stent was allowed for an inadequate result; there was no on-line quantitative angiography. An independent core angiographic laboratory assessed all results and evaluated the adequacy of the subjective interpretation. Within the PTCA arm, there were 24 (36%) crossovers to stenting (5 of 24 [21%] due to recoil), whereas 2 stents could not be delivered to the lesion and crossed over to PTCA. As assessed by quantitative angiography, baseline reference vessel diameters were similar between the PTCA and stent groups. The immediate lumen diameter achieved with PTCA was smaller than that achieved with stenting (2.18+/-0.49 vs. 2.44+/-0.38 mm, respectively, p = 0.01). There were no differences in angiographic results between elective and crossover stenting and there were no in-hospital complications in any patient. Target lesion revascularization at 8 months was 19% (n = 6) in the elective stent arm versus 21% (n = 14) in the PTCA arm, p = NS; respective rates in PTCA alone and crossed over-to-stent subsets were 23% (n = 10) versus 17% (n = 4), p = NS. Angiographic restenosis was 47% after elective stenting versus 38% after PTCA (intention to treat), p = NS. By received treatment, it was 41% (11 of 27) in the group treated with the PTCA versus 33% (5 of 15) in the crossover-to-stent arm (p = NS). Thus, provisional stenting can be safely performed in the treatment of discrete, native de novo lesions. Early recoil after PTCA cannot be reliably assessed without quantitative angiography.

Unstable angina: current concepts of pathogenesis and treatment.

During the past 15 years, we have learned an enormous amount about the pathogenesis and treatment of unstable angina. In most cases of unstable rest angina, the pathogenesis is a mural thrombus formation on a ruptured or eroded atherosclerotic plaque. However, any process that acutely changes the supply-demand ratio (decreased supply or increased demand in the presence of a decrease in supply) can precipitate the clinical presentation of unstable angina. Standard acute antithrombotic drug therapy is effective in decreasing progression to infarction. Newer agents (low-molecular-weight heparin and platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors) are more effective, and their use is evolving. Percutaneous intervention and bypass surgery can reduce symptoms and multiple hospitalizations, in most cases without a decrease in the long-term mortality rate. Because the cost of hospitalization is extremely high and the clinical presentation and outcome are heterogeneous, better triage methods are required.

Creatine kinase-MB elevation after coronary intervention correlates with diffuse atherosclerosis, and low-to-medium level elevation has a benign clinical course: implications for early discharge after coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: The study evaluated the incidence and predictors of creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) elevation after successful coronary intervention using current devices, and assessed the influence on in-hospital course and midterm survival. BACKGROUND: The CK-MB elevation after coronary intervention predominantly using balloon angioplasty correlates with late cardiac events of myocardial infarction (MI) and death. Whether CK-MB elevation after nonballoon devices is associated with an adverse short and midterm prognosis is unknown. METHODS: The incidence and predictors of CK-MB elevation after coronary intervention were prospectively studied in 1,675 consecutive patients and were followed for in-hospital events and survival. RESULTS: CK-MB elevation was detected in 313 patients (18.7%), with 1-3x in 12.8%, 3-5x in 3.5% and >5x normal in 2.4% of patients. Procedural complications or electrocardiogram changes occurred in only 49% of the CK-MB-elevation cases; CK-MB elevation was more common after nonballoon devices (19.5% vs. 11.5% after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty; p < 0.01). Predictors of CK-MB elevation on multivariate analysis were diffuse coronary disease (p = 0.02), systemic atherosclerosis (p = 0.002), stent use (p = 0.04) and absence of beta-blocker therapy (p = 0.001). Adverse in-hospital cardiac events were more frequent in patients with >5x CK-MB elevation, with no significant difference between 1-5x CK-MB elevation versus normal CK-MB group. During a mean follow-up of 13 +/- 3 months, the incidence of death in the CK-MB-elevation group was 1.6% versus 1.3% in the normal CK-MB group (p = NS). CONCLUSIONS: The CK-MB elevation after coronary intervention was observed even in the absence of discernible procedural complications and was more common in patients with diffuse atherosclerosis. In-hospital clinical events requiring prolonged monitoring were higher in >5x CK-MB-elevation patients only. Midterm survival of CK-MB-elevation patients was similar to those with normal CK-MB. Our prospective analysis shows a lack of adverse in-hospital cardiac events and suggests that early discharge of stable 1-5x normal CK-MB-elevation patients after successful coronary intervention is safe.

Gender differences in blood thrombogenicity in hyperlipidemic patients and response to pravastatin.

Thrombotic risk in hyperlipidemic women and its response to lipid therapy is unknown. We prospectively studied 28 men and 29 women with high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol during 6 months of therapy with pravastatin. Women had significantly higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (54.2 +/- 1.7 vs 39.5 +/- 2.2 mg/dl, p <0.01), lower prevalence of coronary artery disease (41% vs 67%, p = 0.04), and otherwise similar baseline characteristics compared with men. Both genders achieved a 33% reduction in LDL at 6 weeks (188 +/- 6 to 133 +/- 5 mg/dl) and maintained similar LDL levels throughout the study. Systemic hemostatic markers and thrombus formation under dynamic flow conditions were evaluated at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months of follow-up. Prothrombin fragment F1.2, a marker of thrombin generation, was higher in women versus men at baseline (2.4 +/- 0.2 vs 1.4 +/- 0.3 nmol/L, p = 0.02). The levels decreased in women to 2.0 +/- 0.3 nmol/L at 3 months and to 1.6 +/- 0.2 nmol/L at 6 months (p <0.045, analysis of variance), whereas it remained unchanged in men. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-I significantly decreased at 3 and 6 months of follow-up: by 12.6% and 18.7%, respectively, in women, and by 18.8% and 23.5%, respectively, in men. Similarly, tissue plasminogen activator decreased significantly by 7.4% in women and 11.8% in men at 6 months compared with baseline. Fibrinogen showed an increase in both genders at follow-up. Thrombus formation was similar at baseline between the 2 genders, and decreased at 3 and 6 months compared with baseline by 12.5% and 29.5% in women, and by 18.6% and 19.4% in men (p <0.04 at 6 months vs baseline in both men and women). Other markers, including C-reactive protein, fibrinopeptide A, D-dimer, and factor VIIa, did not differ between genders and did not change with therapy. Thus, despite higher HDL, and lower incidence of coronary disease, women with high LDL had a comparable thrombotic and/or fibrinolytic profile to men and even evidence of increased thrombin generation at baseline. Blood thrombogenicity was reduced with pravastatin in both genders; in addition, thrombin generation was gradually reduced in women to a level similar to that of men by 6 months of follow-up.

Effects of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition with abciximab on thrombin generation and activity during percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Antagonists of the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa decrease acute ischemic complications after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Abciximab (c7E3 Fab, ReoPro) has been reported to decrease thrombin generation in vitro. We investigated in vivo the effect of abciximab therapy on thrombin generation, thrombin activity, and the activated clotting time (ACT) during PCI. METHODS: We studied 32 consecutive patients who underwent PCI for unstable coronary syndromes. Group I (n = 11) was treated with heparin plus aspirin, and group II (n = 21) was treated with heparin plus aspirin plus standard-dose abciximab, administered 5 minutes after the initial heparin bolus. Patients received a standardized heparin bolus at time 0, and arterial blood specimens for prothrombin fragment F1.2, fibrinopeptide A (FPA), and ACT were obtained from the guiding catheter at 5 minutes, 10 minutes (ACT only), 20 minutes, and at the end of the PCI. Standard-dose abciximab was administered in group II only. Each patient served as his or her own control, and the changes against the baseline were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the 2 groups regarding baseline characteristics, hematocrit, and platelet count. Group I patients had higher ACT and lower F1.2 and FPA compared with group II at baseline. Subsequent measurements demonstrated a gradual decrease in FPA and F1.2 in group II; the end of procedure versus baseline changes that occurred in F1.2 were significantly different compared with group I (decrease of 0.59 +/- 0.22 nmol/L in group II vs increase of 0.22 +/- 0.3 nmol/L in group I, P =.04), and a trend in the same direction was evident for FPA changes (decrease of 1.46 +/- 1.16 ng/mL in group II vs increase of 2.25 +/- 1.58 ng/mL in group I, P =.07). The ACT response to abciximab was variable, but a 6.3% increase (+20 sec) in ACT was documented 5 minutes after abciximab bolus in group II compared with the 3.4% decrease (-10 sec) observed in group I at the same time point (P =.1). CONCLUSION: Addition of abciximab to heparin plus aspirin during PCI was associated with a significant decrease in thrombin generation and a borderline decrease in thrombin activity.

The effect of early postinfarction revascularization of asymptomatic patients on left ventricular remodeling.

BACKGROUND: Patients with angina after a Q-wave myocardial infarction benefit from elective revascularization, but it is not known whether asymptomatic patients, including those with a totally occluded infarct-related artery, improve after revascularization. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of early postinfarction revascularization of asymptomatic patients on left ventricular remodeling. METHODS: We prospectively studied 31 consecutive asymptomatic patients (aged 57 +/- 2 years, 24 with anterior infarcts) after Q-wave myocardial infarction with > or = 70% stenosis of the infarct-related artery (IRA) who underwent early elective revascularization (days 4-10 after myocardial infarction). Group I consisted in patients with a totally occluded IRA (n = 10), and group II consisted in patients with a patent, though stenosed, IRA (n = 21). Resting echocardiography and low-dose dobutamine echocardiography were performed at baseline (day 3 +/- 1), and rest echocardiography was repeated after an 8-week follow-up. Significant myocardial viability was defined as > or = 2 wall segments improved (in a 16-segment model of left ventricle) versus baseline, and significant functional recovery as > or = 2 segments improved versus baseline on follow-up examination. Left ventricular end-systolic volume indices (ESVI) and end-diastolic volume indices and ejection fractions were measured by using a modified version of Simpson's rule (using apical two-chamber and four-chamber views). RESULTS: The left ventricular ESVI of patients in group I had decreased by 4.2 +/- 1.9 ml/m2, whereas for patients in group II the left ventricular ESVI had increased by 4.2 +/- 1.7 ml/m2 (P = 0.006). Similarly, the left ventricular end-diastolic volume index had decreased by 0.7 +/- 2.4 ml/m2 versus baseline at follow-up for patients in group I and increased by 7.8 +/- 2.1 ml/m2 for patients in group II (P = 0.02). The left ventricular ejection fraction increased by 7.3 +/- 3% for patients in group I and decreased by 0.4 +/- 2% for patients in group II (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: There is less global left ventricular remodeling, a potentially deleterious process, after elective revascularization early after Q-wave myocardial infarction in asymptomatic patients who had had a totally occluded IRA before revascularization than there is in patients who had already had a patent, though stenosed, IRA before revascularization. These results suggest that restoration of patency of IRA after a Q-wave myocardial infarction is beneficial even for asymptomatic patients.