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Inconsistent results in outcomes have been observed between the genders after drug-eluting stent implantation. The aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in neointimal proliferation for the Endeavor zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES) and the Driver bare-metal stent (BMS). A total of 476 (n = 391 ZES, n = 85 BMS) patients whose volumetric intravascular ultrasound analyses were available at 8-month follow-up were studied. At 8 months, neointimal obstruction and maximum cross-sectional narrowing (CSN) were significantly lower in women than in men receiving ZES (neointimal obstruction 15.5 ± 9.5% vs 18.2 ± 10.9%, p = 0.025; maximum CSN 30.3 ± 13.2% vs 34.8 ± 15.0%, p = 0.007). Conversely, these parameters tended to be higher in women than in men receiving BMS (neointimal obstruction 36.3 ± 15.9% vs 27.5 ± 17.2%, p = 0.053; maximum CSN 54.3 ± 18.6% vs 45.6 ± 18.3%, p = 0.080). There was a significant interaction between stent type and gender regarding neointimal obstruction (p = 0.001) and maximum CSN (p = 0.003). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that female gender was independently associated with lower neointimal obstruction (p = 0.027) and maximum CSN (p = 0.004) for ZES but not for BMS. Compared to BMS, ZES were independently associated with a reduced risk for binary restenosis in both genders (odds ratio for women 0.003, p = 0.001; odds ratio for men 0.191, p <0.001), but the magnitude of this risk reduction with ZES was significantly greater in women than men (p = 0.015). In conclusion, female gender is independently associated with decreased neointimal hyperplasia in patients treated with ZES. The magnitude of risk reduction for binary restenosis with ZES is significantly greater in women than in men., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Previous reports have shown the advantage of paclitaxel compared to limus-derivative drugs for the treatment of diabetics. A total of 109 diabetics (115 lesions) treated with everolimus-eluting stents (EESs, n = 58) or paclitaxel-eluting stents (PESs, n = 55) undergoing 8 to 9 months of follow-up 3-dimensional intravascular ultrasound examinations were enrolled. In addition to the standard intravascular ultrasound parameters, the percentage of neointimal volume (neointimal volume/stent volume) and maximum percentage of cross-sectional narrowing (neointimal area/stent area) was calculated. EESs showed a lower percentage of neointimal volume (7.2 +/- 7.1% vs 11.7 +/- 11.0%; p = 0.01) and maximum percentage of cross-sectional narrowing (22.5 +/- 16.3% vs 29.4 +/- 19.2%; p = 0.04) than PESs. One case of severe narrowing (lesions with maximum percentage of cross-sectional narrowing >60%) in the EES group developed and 6 cases in the PESs group (p = 0.05). The EESs showed no serial changes for vessel or peri-stent plaque during the follow-up period, and PESs showed significant increases in vessel and peri-stent plaque. PESs showed significantly greater peri-stent plaque increase, with a tendency toward greater vessel enlargement than EESs. Late acquired incomplete stent apposition was observed in 2 PES cases. The major adverse cardiac event rate was comparable < or =2 years. In conclusion, EESs showed greater neointimal suppression without significant vessel expansion than PESs in diabetic patients. In this small cohort, no significant differences were observed in the major adverse cardiac event rate < or =2 years.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the vascular response after everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation in the SPIRIT III Japan Registry (JAPAN) compared to EES implantation in the SPIRIT III United States (USA) trial using serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) analysis. Data were obtained from the JAPAN and the randomized EES arm of the USA trial. Serial (postprocedure and 8-month follow-up) IVUS analysis was available in 199 lesions (JAPAN 82, USA 117) of 183 patients (JAPAN 73, USA 110). Although no difference was observed in vessel size in the reference segment between the 2 groups, postprocedure minimum lumen area and stent volume index were significantly greater in the JAPAN arm (minimum lumen area 5.8 +/- 2.2 vs 5.1 +/- 1.5 mm(2), p = 0.03; stent volume index 7.0 +/- 2.4 vs 6.3 +/- 1.7 mm(3)/mm, p = 0.03). Postprocedure incomplete stent apposition (ISA) was less frequently observed in the JAPAN arm (15.9% vs 33.3%, p = 0.006), possibly related to higher maximum balloon pressure and/or more postdilatation without excess tissue prolapse or edge dissection. In the JAPAN arm, percent neointimal obstruction and maximum percent cross-sectional narrowing were significantly lower at 8-month follow-up (percent neointimal obstruction 3.5 +/- 4.2% vs 6.8 +/- 6.4%, p = 0.0004). Late acquired ISA was infrequent in the 2 arms. In conclusion, comparative IVUS analysis between the JAPAN and USA arms showed more optimal stent deployment in the JAPAN arm as evidenced by the lower incidence of postprocedure ISA and larger minimum lumen area after the procedure. Moreover, there was less neointimal hyperplasia in patients with EES implants from the JAPAN arm compared to the USA arm., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a progressive process involving the epicardial and microvascular coronary systems. The timing of the development of abnormalities in these 2 compartments and the correlation between changes in physiology and anatomy are undefined. The invasive evaluation of coronary artery anatomy and physiology with intravascular ultrasound, fractional flow reserve, coronary flow reserve, and the index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) was performed in the left anterior descending coronary artery during 151 angiographic evaluations of asymptomatic heart transplant recipients from 0 to >5 years after heart transplantation (HT). There was no angiographic evidence of significant CAV, but during the first year after HT, fractional flow reserve decreased significantly (0.89 +/- 0.06 vs 0.85 +/- 0.07, p = 0.001), and percentage plaque volume derived by intravascular ultrasound increased significantly (15.6 +/- 7.7% to 22.5 +/- 12.3%, p = 0.0002), resulting in a significant inverse correlation between epicardial physiology and anatomy (r = -0.58, p <0.0001). The IMR was lower in these patients compared with those > or =2 years after HT (24.1 +/- 14.3 vs 29.4 +/- 18.8 units, p = 0.05), suggesting later spread of CAV to the microvasculature. As the IMR increased, fractional flow reserve increased (0.86 +/- 0.06 to 0.90 +/- 0.06, p = 0.0035 comparing recipients with IMRs < or =20 to those with IMRs > or =40), despite no difference in percentage plaque volume (21.0 +/- 11.2% vs 20.5 +/- 10.5%, p = NS). In conclusion, early after HT, anatomic and physiologic evidence of epicardial CAV was found. Later after HT, the physiologic effect of epicardial CAV may be less, because of increased microvascular dysfunction.

Whether gender affects long-term outcomes after bare metal stent implantation remains controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of gender on neointimal hyperplasia in a large cohort of patients after stent implantation using 3-dimensional intravascular ultrasound. Lumen and stent areas were manually traced at 0.5-mm intervals throughout the stented segment. Using Simpson's method, lumen, stent, and neointimal (stent - lumen) volumes were calculated and standardized by stent length. Women were older, presented more often with hyperlipidemia or hypertension, and had smaller reference vessel diameter and mean stent area, compared with men. Although neointimal hyperplasia and neointimal thickness in women were similar to that in men, the percentage of neointimal hyperplasia (neointimal area divided by stent area) was higher in women due to the smaller stent area. After adjusting for stent area, the percentage of neointimal hyperplasia did not differ by gender. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that neointimal hyperplasia after bare metal stent implantation in women is similar to that seen in men. Despite the similarity in outcome, there are several gender-specific differences in baseline characteristics.

Diabetes mellitus is an independent predictor of restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention. The pattern of restenosis after bare metal stent implantation in diabetic patients was examined with 3-dimensional intravascular ultrasound analysis. Lumen and stent were manually traced at every 0.5-mm interval in stented segments. Using Simpson's method, stent, luminal, and neointimal (stent minus lumen) volumes were calculated and average area was calculated as volume data divided by length. To measure the cross-sectional and longitudinal severities of luminal encroachment by the neointima, percent neointimal area (neointimal area divided by stent area) and neointimal hyperplasia 50 (IH50) (defined as percent stent length with percent neointimal area >50%) were calculated. In 278 patients (68 with diabetes and 210 without diabetes), there was a significantly higher percentage of maximal percent neointimal area with significantly longer percent stent length that was severely encroached by the neointima in diabetic patients. Diabetic patients showed a more heterogenous pattern of the neointima after bare metal stenting, resulting in longer high-grade obstruction segments. This may have important implications for stent design and pharmacokinetic properties of next-generation drug-eluting technology for this complex patient subset.