Ioxaglate Versus IoDixanol for the Prevention of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy: The IDPC Trial.

Background: Despite the potential benefits of percutaneous procedures for the assessment and treatment of coronary artery disease, these interventions require the use of iodine contrast, which might lead to contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and increased risk of dialysis and major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Aims: We sought to compare two different iodine contrasts (low vs. iso-osmolar) for the prevention of CIN among high-risk patients.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Patients after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Everolimus-Eluting Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold.

Background:: Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) were developed to improve the long-term results of percutaneous coronary intervention, restoring vasomotion.

Objectives:: To report very late follow-up of everolimus-eluting Absorb BVS (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, USA) in our center.

Methods:: Observational retrospective study, in a single Brazilian center, from August 2011 to October 2013, including 49 patients submitted to Absorb BVS implantation.

Pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection: insights from a case series of 13 patients.

Aims: We sought to present a series of 13 pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection (P-SCAD), their angiographic and multimodal imaging findings, acute phase treatment, and outcomes.

Methods And Results: Between 2005 and 2015, 13 cases of P-SCAD were collected from a database of 11 tertiary hospitals. The mean age was 33.

Efficacy of Patient Selection for Diagnostic Coronary Angiography in Suspected Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Guidelines recommend that in suspected stable coronary artery disease (CAD), a clinical (non-invasive) evaluation should be performed before coronary angiography.

Objective: We assessed the efficacy of patient selection for coronary angiography in suspected stable CAD.

Methods: We prospectively selected consecutive patients without known CAD, referred to a high-volume tertiary center.

A Randomized Trial of Creatine-kinase Leak After Rosuvastatin in Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (CLEAR-PCI).

Objectives: To determine the impact of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) performed at the same time of the peak concentration of rosuvastatin to reduce periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI).

Background: Prior studies suggest that a high dose of statin before PCI reduce periprocedural myocardial infarction. However, there is no information regarding the elective PCI performed at the time of the peak of statin concentration to reduce PMI.

Very long-term follow-up of strut apposition and tissue coverage with Biolimus A9 stents analyzed by optical coherence tomography.

First generation drug-eluting stents (DES) are associated with reduced in-stent restenosis but significant increased risk of very late stent thrombosis (VLST). The absence of polymer in DES systems may reduce the occurrence of VLST. Optic coherence tomography (OCT) has been used for stent analysis as a surrogate safety endpoint.

Serial greyscale and radiofrequency intravascular ultrasound assessment of plaque modification and vessel geometry at proximal and distal edges of bare metal and first-generation drug-eluting stents.

Background: Little is known about the correlation between modifications in plaque composition at stent edges and the changes in vessel geometry. This study sought to evaluate, by serial greyscale intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and Virtual Histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS), the modifications in plaque composition at the edges of drug-eluting and bare metal stents and the correlation of these findings with changes in the measurements of vessel, lumen and plaque area at those segments.

Methods And Results: Single-centre, prospective and randomised (1:1) evaluation of 40 patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with bare metal (Driver; Medtronic, Santa Clara, CA, USA; n=20 patients) or drug-eluting stents (Cypher; Cordis, Miami Lakes, FL, USA; n=20 patients).

Identifying patients at risk for premature discontinuation of thienopyridine after coronary stent implantation.

We sought to identify patients at risk for premature discontinuation of thienopyridines and to develop a risk score for thienopyridine adherence after coronary stent implantation. Patients were prospectively included from December 2007 to March 2008. At 1-month follow-up, all patients were given the Morisky questionnaire and asked if they had stopped taking thienopyridines.

Randomized, double-blind, multicenter study of the polymer-based 17-beta estradiol-eluting stent for treatment of native coronary artery lesions: six-month results of the ETHOS I trial.

Objectives: The ETHOS I trial was the first in-human experience evaluating the safety and efficacy of two different release formulations of the 17-beta estradiol-eluting R-Stent versus uncoated control stents for the treatment of patients with single de novo native coronary lesions.

Background: Estrogens were reported to inhibit neointimal proliferation and to accelerate endothelial regeneration after coronary angioplasty and thus could be an ideal compound to deliver on a stent for the purpose of reducing in-stent restenosis.

Methods: Ninety-five patients were randomized to receive a slow-release (n = 32) or the moderate release (n = 31) formulations or the bare metal stent (n = 32).

Drug-eluting stents vs bare metal stents for the treatment of large coronary vessels.

Background: Lately drug-eluting stents (DES) have dramatically reduced restenosis rates and need for repeat revascularization in a wide subset of lesion and patients. However, their benefit for the treatment of large vessels (> 3.0 mm) has yet to be established.

Percutaneous coronary revascularization using a trilayer metal phosphorylcholine-coated zotarolimus-eluting stent.

The ZoMaxx Coronary Stent System elutes the antiproliferative agent zotarolimus via a biocompatible phosphorylcholine polymer loaded onto a novel, thin, stainless steel stent platform containing an 0.0007-inch inner layer of tantalum that enhances fluoroscopic radiopacity. The objective of this single-arm prospective clinical trial was to assess the safety and performance of the ZoMaxx stent for the treatment of coronary artery stenosis.

Late incomplete apposition after drug-eluting stent implantation: incidence and potential for adverse clinical outcomes.

Aim: Late-acquired incomplete stent apposition (ISA) has been documented after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation; however, its clinical role remains controversial. We sought to investigate the incidence and long-term clinical consequences of late ISA after implantation of sirolimus- (SES) or paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) in a non-selected population.

Methods And Results: From our database, we analysed 195 consecutive patients who underwent DES placement (175 with SES and 20 with PES) into native artery lesions and had serial intravascular ultrasound studies (IVUS) performed at index procedure and after 6-8 months.

Unstable angina patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention in the new millennium: what characterizes them?

Objective: To identify clinical and angiographic profiles of patients with unstable angina seen at a tertiary hospital and treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: Study of a consecutive series of 1413 patients, selected from a computerized database, who underwent percutaneous revascularization in the three-year period of 2002-2004. There were no inclusion/exclusion criteria.

The randomised study of the double dose versus single dose sirolimus-eluting stent for the treatment of diabetic patients with de novo coronary lesions.

Background: Even though sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) have been shown to significantly improve binary restenosis and target lesion revascularisation rates (TLR) compared to bare metal stents in diabetic patients, the revascularisation rate is still higher than those of non-diabetics. Whether a double dose (DD) of sirolimus on a stent would provide a greater reduction in neointimal hyperplasia compared to single dose (SD) SES in de novo coronary lesion of diabetic patients is unknown.

Methods And Results: A total of 56 patients (58 lesions) were prospectively randomised in a double blind fashion in a 1:1 ratio to SD (30 lesions) versus DD (28 lesions).

Long-term follow up of diabetic patients treated with sirolimus-eluting stents. An angiographic and three-dimensional intravascular ultrasound study.

Background: Sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) have already demonstrated their long-term effectiveness in suppressing neointimal hyperplasia in non-high risk patients. The long-term follow up of diabetic patients treated with SES has not been yet evaluated.

Methods And Results: Quantitative coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound analysis were performed in 35 diabetic patients treated with a SES at short- (6.

[Comparative analysis of intimal hyperplasia after sirolimus-eluting stent and thin-strut bare-metal stent implantation in small coronary arteries].

Objective: This study aimed at evaluating reduction in intimal hyperplasia volume following angioplasty using sirolimus-eluting stents (Cypher) compared with thin-strut bare-metal stents (Pixel) in patients with small vessels.

Methods: Eighty patients with coronary artery disease were prospectively included in two consecutive series, the first using sirolimus-eluting stents (50) and the second using bare-metal stents (30).

Results: The use of sirolimus-eluting stents reduced: in-stent net volume obstruction [5.

Comparison between sirolimus-eluting stents and intracoronary catheter-based beta radiation for the treatment of in-stent restenosis.

We report the outcomes of patients who had in-stent restenosis (IRS) that was treated with intravascular brachytherapy (IVBT) or sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation. The benefit of IVBT for treating ISR is well documented. SES implantation decreases first-time ISR and, in preliminary reports, has been used to treat ISR.

Pilot study with an intensified oral sirolimus regimen for the prevention of in-stent restenosis in de novo lesions: a serial intravascular ultrasound study.

This pilot study evaluated the safety and efficacy of an intensified oral sirolimus regimen (15-mg loading dose 24 hr before PCI, followed by a daily dose of 5 mg for 4 weeks) in 15 patients subjected to elective bare metal coronary stent implantation for de novo lesions. Mean patient age was 59+/-9; 73% were male, and 13% were diabetic patients. The reference diameter was 3.

Angiographic and intravascular ultrasound findings of the late catch-up phenomenon after intracoronary beta-radiation for the treatment of in-stent restenosis.

We report one-year angiographic and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) outcomes of in-stent restenosis (ISR) patients treated with intravascular brachytherapy (IVBT). The benefit of IVBT for treating ISR is well documented. However, few data exist on significant angiographic and intravascular ultrasonic in-stent lumen deterioration beyond the habitual 6-month analysis after the index radiation procedure or so-called late catch-up process in the treatment of ISR.

Volumetric analysis of in-stent intimal hyperplasia in diabetic patients treated with or without abciximab: results of the Diabetes Abciximab steNT Evaluation (DANTE) randomized trial.

Background: In diabetic patients in the Evaluation of Platelet IIb/IIIa Inhibitor for Stenting (EPISTENT) trial, abciximab reduced target vessel revascularization by approximately 50% compared with placebo. Whether this is a result of a lower restenosis rate caused by inhibition of intimal hyperplasia remains to be defined.

Methods And Results: The purpose of this study was to determine whether abciximab at the time of stent implantation would reduce in-stent intimal hyperplasia measured by intravascular ultrasound at 6-month follow-up in type 2 diabetics.