Peri-strut low-intensity areas in optical coherence tomography correlate with peri-strut inflammation and neointimal proliferation: an in-vivo correlation study in the familial hypercholesterolemic coronary swine model of in-stent restenosis.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1-2014

Journal Title

Coronary artery disease

MeSH Headings

Animals, Coronary Artery Disease, Coronary Restenosis, Coronary Vessels, Disease Models, Animal, Drug-Eluting Stents, Fibrin, Graft Occlusion, Vascular, Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II, Hyperplasia, Inflammation, Male, Neointima, Stents, Swine, Tomography, Optical Coherence

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Peri-strut low-intensity area (PLI) is a common imaging finding during the evaluation of in-stent neointima using optical coherence tomography (OCT). We aimed to determine the biological significance of PLI by comparing in-vivo OCT images with the corresponding histological sections obtained from the familial hypercholesterolemic swine model of coronary stenosis.

METHODS: A total of 26 coronary vessels of nine familial hypercholesterolemic swine were injured with 30% balloon overstretch and then immediately followed by everolimus eluting or bare metal stent placement at 20% overstretch. At 30 days, all stented vessels were subjected to in-vivo OCT analysis and were harvested for histological evaluation. For OCT analysis, stent cross-sections (three per stent) were categorized into presence (PLI+) or absence (PLI-) of PLI. In histology, inflammation and fibrin deposition were scored semiquantitatively from 0 (none) to 3 (severe).

RESULTS: PLI was found in 64.9% of stent sections. Peri-strut inflammation was more frequently observed in OCT sections PLI (+) compared with PLI (-) (56.0 vs. 7.4%, P=0.01). In contrast, peri-strut fibrin deposits was similar in both groups (PLI+=58.0% vs. PLI-=59.3%, P=0.94). Histological neointimal thickness was significantly higher in PLI (+) sections (mean±SE: 0.68±0.06 vs. 0.34±0.02 mm; P56% PLI, area under the curve=0.86, P

CONCLUSION: The presence of PLI in OCT correlates with neointimal thickness and appears to have a diagnostic value in the recognition of peri-strut inflammation, therefore possibly serving as a surrogate for in-vivo assessment of stent efficacy.

ISSN

1473-5830

First Page

595

Last Page

601

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