Abstract:
Background: Stent thrombosis with drug-eluting stents continues to be a serious complication. Thrombocytopenia, a platelet-independent defect in hemostasis and potentiation of agonist-induced platelet aggregation associated with sirolimus use have been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the thrombogenicity of sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) compared with bare-metal stents (BMS) in a standardized in vitro model.
Methods: SES and BMS were implnated in tubing loops. Additional nine loops were kept plain to serve as controls. Each loop was filled with blood of nine volunteers. Initially (t = 0) and after 90 minutes (t = 90) of blood circulation in a modified chandler loop model, thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), PMN-elastase, factor XIIa, SC5b-9. sP-selectin and platelet count were assessed. Expression of CD62P, CD45/41 an PAC-1 on platelets were determined by flow cytometry.
Results: After t = 90 platelet count decreased significantly in the loops with BMS and SES (p < 0,05 vs t = 0), due to platelet adhesion on the stents. Levels of TAT, PMN-elastase and SC5b-9 were significantly elevated at t=90 in all loops (p < 0,05 vs t = 0). SP-selectin significantly increased in the loop with BMS and SES at t = 90. No significant changes occured in any flow cytometry data. Platelet count, sP-selectin, TAT, PMN-elastase, SC5b-9, CD62P, CD41/45 and PAC-1 showed no significant difference between BMS and SES.
Conclusions: These data demonstrate the thrombogenic effect of the stents surfaces and provide evidence, that there is no differnce in thrombogenicity of BMS and SES.