The use of bioresorbable vascular scaffold Absorb BVS® in patients with stable coronary artery disease: one-year results with special focus on the hybrid bioresorbable vascular scaffolds and drug eluting stents treatment.

BACKGROUND: The number of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) with bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) is in-creasing because these procedures offer additional benefits compared to PCI with classical drug eluting stents (DES) made of permanent metallic prostheses. AIM: To present the current experience of using BVS in a real life scenario in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), with a special focus on the assessment of safety and effectiveness of the hybrid strategy (single stage BVS and DES implantation). METHODS: We performed a one-arm prospective registry, which enrolled patients with stable CAD in five interventional cardiology centres in Poland. All patients who met inclusion and exclusion criteria and had received at least one BVS stent during index PCI were included. The primary endpoint was the cumulative rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), consist-ing of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), and clinically-driven target lesion revascularisation (TLR) at 12 months. The analysis was performed in the whole population as well as in the subgroup with the hybrid treatment (BVS + DES). RESULTS: Between August 2013 and April 2014 139 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 59.5 ± 5.5 years, and 34.5% of the population were women. The target vessel was located in the left anterior descending artery in most cases (65.5%). The device success rate was 100%. At 12 months, in the whole population the cumulative MACE incidence was 7.2% (n = 10), while the clinically-driven TLR rate was 5.0% (n = 7). In further analysis, in the hybrid subgroup there was no death, MI, or stent thrombosis, and only one case of clinically-driven TLR (4.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The obtained data enable us to say that in particular clinical scenarios the simultaneous use of BVS and DES might be safe and effective.

Impact of percutaneous coronary intervention on biomarker levels in patients in the subacute phase following myocardial infarction: the Occluded Artery Trial (OAT) biomarker ancillary study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the Occluded Artery Trial (OAT) Biomarker substudy was to evaluate the impact of infarct related artery (IRA) revascularization on serial levels of N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and dynamics of other biomarkers related to left ventricular remodeling, fibrosis and angiogenesis. METHODS: Patients were eligible for OAT-Biomarker based on the main OAT criteria. Of 70 patients (age 60.8 ± 8.8, 25% women) enrolled in the substudy, 37 were randomized to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and 33 to optimal medical therapy alone. Baseline serum samples were obtained prior to OAT randomization with follow up samples taken at one year. The primary outcome was percent change of NT-proBNP from baseline to 1 year. The secondary outcomes were respective changes of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2 and 9, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), and Galectin-3. RESULTS: Paired (baseline and one-year) serum samples were obtained in 62 subjects. Baseline median NT-proBNP level was 944.8 (455.3, 1533) ng/L and decreased by 69% during follow-up (p < 0.0001). Baseline MMP-2 and TIMP-2 levels increased significantly from baseline to follow-up (p = 0.034, and p = 0.027 respectively), while MMP-9 level decreased from baseline (p = 0.038). Levels of VEGF and Galectin-3 remained stable at one year (p = NS for both). No impact of IRA revascularization on any biomarker dynamics were noted. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant changes in measured biomarkers related to LV remodeling, stress, and fibrosis following MI between 0 and 12 month. Establishing infarct vessel patency utilizing stenting 24 hours-28 days post MI did not however influence the biomarkers' release.