Association between proliferative scars and in-stent restenosis.
BACKGROUND
Keloid and hypertrophic scars are two types of proliferative scars at sites of cutaneous injury that form as a result of an abnormal wound-healing process. Proliferative scar formation after skin injury and restenosis after coronary stenting have common features. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of proliferative scars with coronary stent restenosis.


METHODS
Patients with previous open heart surgery with median sternotomy who had coronary stenting after the surgery and were admitted for control angiography were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of proliferative scars. The primary end point was the incidence of angiographic restenosis in patient groups.


RESULTS
The study group consisted of 80 patients (64 men; mean age 64 + or - 9 years). Twenty-three patients (29%) have a proliferative scar. In general, two groups were comparable with regard to baseline lipid profiles, demographics, and cardiovascular risk factors. Restenosis was significantly more prevalent in patients with proliferative scars than with controls (p = .04). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, stent length (odds ratio [OR] 1.12, p = .005), diabetes (OR 3.3, p = .03), and proliferative scar (OR 4.2, p = .02) independently predicted in-stent restenosis.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study suggest that patients with proliferative scars may have a higher risk of in-stent restenosis.
Cardiology Department, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. cagdas_2005@yahoo.com
Cagdas
C
Ozdol
Sibel
S
Turhan
Cansin
C
Tulunay
A Timucin
AT
Altin
Yusuf
Y
Atmaca
Basar
B
Candemir
Cetin
C
Erol
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic / Q000209:etiology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D015607:Stents