Effect of intensive vs standard statin therapy on endothelial progenitor cells and left ventricular function in patients with acute myocardial infarction: Statins for regeneration after acute myocardial infarction and PCI (STRAP) trial.

Background: Intensive statin therapy can lower the risk of recurrence of major cardiac events in patients with acute coronary syndromes. This could be related to the ability of statins to increase levels of Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs), which were demonstrated to be favorably associated with a better prognosis and post-infarction left ventricular remodeling in patients with ischemic heart disease.

Aim Of The Study: First, to evaluate, in a randomized clinical trial, the effect of an intensive vs a standard treatment with statins on EPC mobilization in patients undergoing a successful primary or rescue percutaneous coronary intervention; secondary, to evaluate whether left ventricular remodeling could be influenced by statin therapy through EPC mobilization.

The extent of microvascular damage during myocardial contrast echocardiography is superior to other known indexes of post-infarct reperfusion in predicting left ventricular remodeling: results of the multicenter AMICI study.

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the value of the extent of microvascular damage as assessed with myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) in the prediction of left ventricular (LV) remodeling after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) as compared with established clinical and angiographic parameters of reperfusion.

Background: Early identification of post-percutaneous coronary intervention microvascular dysfunction may help in tailoring appropriate pharmacological interventions in high-risk patients. The ideal method to establish effective microvascular reperfusion after percutaneous coronary intervention remains to be determined.

Usefulness of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in patients with a large anterior wall acute myocardial infarction to prevent left ventricular remodeling (the rigenera study).

Intracoronary injection of bone marrow stem cells seems to improve left ventricular (LV) function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) could improve myocardial function and perfusion noninvasively through mobilization of stem cells into peripheral blood, although previous clinical trials have produced controversial results. Forty-one patients with large anterior wall AMI at high risk of unfavorable remodeling were randomized 1:2 to G-CSF (10 microg/kg/day for 5 days) or to conventional therapy.

Does coronary angioplasty after timely thrombolysis improve microvascular perfusion and left ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction?

Background: Recent data show that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with stable postthrombolytic ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is better than no PCI or ischemia-guided PCI. These results still have to find a pathophysiologic explanation. We hypothesized that complete mechanical recanalization of infarct-related artery improves clinical benefits of thrombolysis as a result of more preserved and better perfused coronary microcirculation.

Thrombus aspiration reduces microvascular obstruction after primary coronary intervention: a myocardial contrast echocardiography substudy of the REMEDIA Trial.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to clarify the role of microembolization in the genesis of microvascular obstruction (MO) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: Fifty consecutive patients entered the myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) substudy of the REMEDIA (Randomized Evaluation of the Effect of Mechanical Reduction of Distal Embolization by Thrombus Aspiration in Primary and Rescue Angioplasty) trial, which defined the role of a new thrombus-aspirating device in preventing distal microembolization after PCI.

Methods: A total of 25 patients were randomized to be pretreated with thrombus aspiration before PCI of the culprit lesion and 25 received standard PCI.

A pilot study with a new, rapid-exchange, thrombus-aspirating device in patients with thrombus-containing lesions: the Diver C.E. study.

Background: In patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), distal embolization of thrombotic material is more likely to play a key role in the pathogenesis of myocardial no-reflow during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Thus, interventional techniques able to reduce thrombus burden at the culprit vessel might improve final myocardial reperfusion.

Objective: To evaluate a new rapid-exchange thrombus-aspirating catheter, the Diver C.

Manual thrombus-aspiration improves myocardial reperfusion: the randomized evaluation of the effect of mechanical reduction of distal embolization by thrombus-aspiration in primary and rescue angioplasty (REMEDIA) trial.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a new manual thrombus-aspirating device in unselected patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing urgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: Failure to achieve myocardial reperfusion often occurs during PCI in patients with STEMI. The use of thrombus-aspirating devices might improve myocardial reperfusion by reducing distal embolization.