Clinical and angiographic comparison of everolimus-eluting and paclitaxel-eluting stents in small coronary arteries: a post hoc analysis of the SPIRIT III randomized trial.
BACKGROUND
Drug-eluting stents with low late loss may be particularly beneficial in small coronary arteries. We therefore examined whether the everolimus-eluting stent is superior to the paclitaxel-eluting stent in patients treated with 2.5-mm stents in the SPIRIT III trial.


METHODS
The SPIRIT III trial was a prospective, multicenter, randomized (2:1; XIENCE V: TAXUS Express) trial in which 1002 patients were enrolled. One or more 2.5-mm stents were implanted in 160 patients in the XIENCE V arm, and 59 patients, in the TAXUS arm. Mean vessel diameter was 2.36 +/- 0.30 and 2.34 +/- 0.33 mm in the XIENCE V and TAXUS groups, respectively (P = .69).


RESULTS
At 9 months, XIENCE V compared to TAXUS reduced the rates of major adverse cardiac events (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or ischemic target lesion revascularization) from 12.5% to 3.2% (P = .02) and target vessel failure (cardiac death, reinfarction, or ischemic target vessel revascularization) from 16.1% to 5.2% (P = .02), the differences being driven primarily by reductions in target lesion revascularization (12.5% vs 1.3%; P = .002). In-stent late loss was significantly reduced by XIENCE V when compared to TAXUS (0.54 +/- 0.74 vs 0.11 +/- 0.43 mm, P = .01), as was In-segment binary angiographic restenosis (20.8% vs 4.1%, P = .02).


CONCLUSIONS
In this post hoc analysis from the SPIRIT III trial, the XIENCE V 2.5-mm stent significantly reduced clinical and angiographic restenosis compared to the TAXUS 2.5-mm stent, further supporting the hypothesis that lower late loss is beneficial in small vessel disease.
Hermiller
James B
JB
The Care Group LLC, St Vincent Heart Center of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN 46290, USA. jhermill@thecaregroup.com
Fergus
Todd
T
Pierson
Wesley
W
Su
Xiaolu
X
Sood
Poornima
P
Sudhir
Krishnankutty
K
Stone
Gregg W
GW
D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D000068338:Everolimus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000068338:Everolimus; D017239:Paclitaxel; D020123:Sirolimus