Current State of Bioabsorbable Polymer-Coated Drug-Eluting Stents.

Drug-eluting stents (DES) have been shown to significantly reduce clinical and angiographic restenosis compared to bare metal stents (BMS). The polymer coatings on DES elute antiproliferative drugs to inhibit intimal proliferation and prevent restenosis after stent implantation. Permanent polymers which do not degrade in vivo may increase the likelihood of stent-related delayed arterial healing or polymer hypersensitivity.

Phosphorylated STAT5 regulates p53 expression via BRCA1/BARD1-NPM1 and MDM2.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) and nucleophosmin (NPM1) are critical regulators of multiple biological and pathological processes. Although a reciprocal regulatory relationship was established between STAT5A and a NPM-ALK fusion protein in T-cell lymphoma, no direct connection between STAT5 and wild-type NPM1 has been documented. Here we demonstrate a mutually regulatory relationship between STAT5 and NPM1.

Left Atrial Appendage Closure -The WATCHMAN Device.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common arrhythmias seen in clinical cardiology practice. Patients with non-valvular AF have an approximately 5-fold increase in the risk of stroke, with an exponential increase with advancing age. Cardioembolic strokes carry a high mortality risk.

Usefulness of intracardiac echocardiography with a mechanical probe for catheter-based interventions: a 10-year prospective registry.

Background: The clinical outcome benefit of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) with a mechanical probe during congenital heart disease interventions has not been fully investigated. We reported the long-term results of a prospective registry of interatrial shunt closure guided by mechanical ICE.

Methods: We enrolled 537 patients (mean age 48 ± 19.

Vasomotor function and re-endothelialisation after implantation of biodegradable abluminal polymer coated paclitaxel-eluting stents in rabbit iliac arteries: a time-course study.

Aims: To evaluate the time-course of vasomotor function and re-endothelialisation after implantation of a novel platinum-chromium (PtCr) abluminal biodegradable polymer-coated paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES, Labcoat Element) in rabbit iliac arteries.

Methods And Results: Either PES (n=18) or an identical platform of bare metal stents (BMS, Element, n=18) were implanted in rabbit iliac arteries (six animals per time-point). At 14, 30, and 90 days, acetylcholine- and nitroglycerine-induced vasomotor reactivity at 5-10 mm distal to the stent was measured.

Transradial Szabo technique for intervention of ostial lesions.

Objectives: The aim of our study is to assess the feasibility and safety of transradial intervention (TRI) of coronary ostial lesions using the Szabo technique.

Background: When performing TRI of coronary ostial lesions, precise stent positioning is of paramount importance. TRI has experienced increasing popularity in the U.

Nobori stent shows less vascular inflammation and early recovery of endothelial function compared with Cypher stent.

Objectives: The current study sought to examine inflammation at the stented segments of Nobori (Terumo Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) and Cypher (Cordis, Miami, Florida) drug-eluting stents (DES), as well as free radical production and endothelial function of the adjacent nonstented segments in a pig coronary model.

Background: Nobori is a novel DES, incorporating a biolimus A9-eluting biodegradable polymer coated only on the abluminal surface of the stent. These unique features may favorably affect inflammation and endothelial function, as compared to the currently marketed DES.

Long-term results of the amplatzer cribriform occluder for patent foramen ovale with associated atrial septal aneurysm: impact on occlusion rate and left atrial functional remodelling.

Background: Treatment of patients with concomitant patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) poses a number of challenges; while some authors have suggested the off-label use of the Amplatzer Cribriform Occluder in such anatomy, the long-term outcomes of this strategy is unknown. Our study aimed to assess the long-term impact on closure rate, left atrial functional remodelling, and clinical outcomes of off-label implantation of Amplatzer ASD Cribriform Occluder in patients with PFO and ASA.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 160 consecutive patients with previous stroke (mean age 36 ± 9.

Permanent right-to-left shunt is the key factor in managing patent foramen ovale.

Objectives: We sought to prospectively evaluate risk of stroke and impact of transcatheter patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure in patients with permanent right-to left shunt compared with those with Valsalva maneuver-induced right-to-left shunt.

Background: Pathophysiology and properly management of PFO still remain far from being fully clarified: in particular, the contribution of permanent right-to-left shunt remains unknown.

Methods: Between March 2006 and October 2010, we enrolled 180 (mean age 44 ± 10.

Five-year follow-up of intracardiac echocardiography-assisted transcatheter closure of complex ostium secundum atrial septal defect.

Objective: We sought to prospectively evaluate long-term follow-up results of intracardiac echocardiography-aided transcatheter closure of complex atrial septal defects (ASD) in the adults.

Design And Settings: Prospective multicenter registry in tertiary care hospitals.

Patients And Interventions: Over a 5-year period, we prospectively enrolled 56 patients (mean age 49 ± 16.

Transradial cardiac catheterization: a review of access site complications.

Transradial catheterization (TRC) has been associated with a lower incidence of major access site related complications as compared to the transfemoral approach. With the increased adoption of transradial access, it is essential to understand the potential major and minor complications of TRC. The most common complication is asymptomatic radial artery occlusion, which rarely leads to clinical events, owing to the dual collateral perfusion of the hand.

Efficacy and safety of Firebird sirolimus-eluting stent in treatment of complex coronary lesions in Chinese patients: one-year clinical and eight-month angiographic outcomes from the FIREMAN registry.

Background: Off-label application of drug-eluting stents (DES) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was not uncommon in daily practice, however DES in treating Chinese patients with complex lesion subset was under-investigated. The primary objective of the FIREMAN registry was to evaluate the long term efficacy and safety of the Firebird sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) in treating patients with complex coronary lesions. Here we report the mid-term of one-year clinical outcomes and eight-month angiographic follow-up results of FIREMAN registry.

Vasomotor function after paclitaxel-coated balloon post-dilation in porcine coronary stent model.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate endothelial function after post-dilation of bare-metal stents with paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCB) or non-drug-coated balloons (non-DCB) in a porcine model.

Background: DCB are an attractive alternative to drug-eluting stents because they provide short duration of drug exposure, while potentially inhibiting in-stent restenosis. Drug-eluting stents are associated with impaired endothelial function.

Comparison between the NERS (New Risk Stratification) score and the SYNTAX (Synergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) score in outcome prediction for unprotected left main stenting.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the NERS (New Risk Stratification) and SYNTAX (Synergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) scores for prognostication after stenting of unprotected left main stenosis in a "real-world" setting.

Background: In contrast to existing systems, the NERS score encompasses clinical, procedural, and angiographic characteristics.

Methods: The NERS score was derived from 260 patients with unprotected left main stenosis who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and tested in 337 patients in a consecutive left main registry (66.

Polymer-free cerivastatin-eluting stent shows superior neointimal inhibition with preserved vasomotor function compared to polymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stent in rabbit iliac arteries.

Aims: The present study was designed to evaluate vasomotor function and vascular biological responses following a novel non-polymeric cerivastatin-eluting stent (CES) versus polymer-based paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) in a rabbit iliac artery model. Optimisation of DES components and non-polymeric stents may contribute to vascular healing and beneficial to vasomotor function.

Methods And Results: In vitro human aortic and coronary smooth muscle cells (hASMC & hCSMC), as well as endothelial cells (hAEC & hCEC) were cultured.

Primary transcatheter patent foramen ovale closure is effective in improving migraine in patients with high-risk anatomic and functional characteristics for paradoxical embolism.

Objectives: In the present study, we sought to assess the effectiveness of migraine treatment by means of primary patent foramen ovale (PFO) transcatheter closure in patients with anatomical and functional characteristics predisposing to paradoxical embolism without previous cerebral ischemia.

Background: The exact role for transcatheter closure of PFO in migraine therapy has yet to be elucidated.

Methods: We enrolled 86 patients (68 female, mean age 40.

A third generation ultra-thin strut cobalt chromium stent: histopathological evaluation in porcine coronary arteries.

Aims: The present study was designed to evaluate a novel third generation bare-metal stent (BMS) comprised of an ultra-thin-strut, cobalt-chromium platform with fixed geometry, uniform cell size, and superior surface finish in a porcine coronary artery model.

Methods And Results: A total of 47 BMS of two types were implanted in pig coronary arteries using QCA to optimise stent apposition: a commercially available cobalt alloy thin-strut stent (91 microm) as control (Driver; n=17), and an ultra-thin-strut (65 microm) cobalt-chromium stent (Protea; n=18). Animals underwent angiographic restudy and termination one week and one month post-implant for coronary artery histology.

The first-generation drug-eluting stents and coronary endothelial dysfunction.

Recently, a growing body of clinical data has shown that the first generation of drug-eluting stents (1st-gen DES) implantation could elicit coronary conduit artery vasomotor dysfunction at nonstented reference segments as late as 12 months after implantation compared with that seen with bare-metal stents. The mechanism of this phenomenon is still not fully understood. Pathological studies have implicated delayed arterial healing and poor re-endothelialization after the 1st-gen DES implantation.