A higher colour grade yellow plaque was detected at one year after implantation of an everolimus-eluting stent than after a zotarolimus-eluting stent.
OBJECTIVE
Neoatherosclerosis or atherosclerosis progression is one of the mechanisms of long-term stent failure. Yellow plaque detected by angioscopy has been associated with advanced atherosclerosis and the future risk of a coronary event. We compared the yellow colour of the stented segment between zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES) and everolimus-eluting stents (EES) at 1 year after implantation.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Consecutive patients underwent angioscopic examination 1 year after the implantation of ZES (n=45) or EES (n=45) at a de novo native coronary lesion.


METHODS
The maximum yellow colour grade (grade 0-3) of the stented segment, maximum and minimum neointima coverage grade (grade 0-2) and the presence of thrombus were examined. The neointima heterogeneity index was calculated as maximum - minimum coverage grade.


RESULTS
Maximum yellow colour grade was higher in EES than in ZES (1.3±0.9 vs 0.4±0.8, p<0.001) and maximum (2.0±0.2 vs 1.2±0.5, p<0.001) and minimum (1.5±0.6 vs 0.7±0.5, p<0.001) coverage grade was higher in ZES than in EES. The neointima heterogeneity index was not different between ZES and EES (0.4±0.5 vs 0.5±0.6, p=0.42). The incidence of thrombus was very low and was not different between ZES and EES (2% vs 4%, p=0.55).


CONCLUSIONS
Although both ZES and EES had good healing with homogeneous neointima coverage and a low incidence of thrombus, EES had more advanced atherosclerosis as shown by the presence of higher grade yellow plaque than ZES at 1 year after implantation.
Cardiovascular Division , Osaka Police Hospital , Osaka , Japan.
Koshi
K
Matsuo
Cardiovascular Division , Osaka Police Hospital , Osaka , Japan.
Yasunori
Y
Ueda
Cardiovascular Division , Osaka Police Hospital , Osaka , Japan.
Mayu
M
Nishio
Cardiovascular Division , Osaka Police Hospital , Osaka , Japan.
Akio
A
Hirata
Cardiovascular Division , Osaka Police Hospital , Osaka , Japan.
Mitsutoshi
M
Asai
Cardiovascular Division , Osaka Police Hospital , Osaka , Japan.
Takayoshi
T
Nemoto
Cardiovascular Division , Osaka Police Hospital , Osaka , Japan.
Ayaka
A
Murakami
Cardiovascular Division , Osaka Police Hospital , Osaka , Japan.
Kazunori
K
Kashiwase
Cardiovascular Division , Osaka Police Hospital , Osaka , Japan.
Kazuhisa
K
Kodama