Angiographic and 3D intravascular ultrasound assessment of overlapping bare metal stent and three different formulations of drug-eluting stents in patients with diabetes mellitus

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the impact of overlapping bare-metal stent (BMS) and three different formulations of drug-eluting stent (DES) on intimal hyperplasia (IH) response of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods Forty-nine DM patients treated with overlapping BMS (19 lesions), sirolimus-eluting stent (SES 12 lesions), paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES 8 lesions) or tacrolimus-eluting stent (TES 10 lesions) were studied. Baseline and 9-month follow-up volumetric intravascular vascular ultrasound (IVUS) and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) analysis were performed in the entire stented segment and in the overlapped (OL) and non-overlapped (non-OL) subsegments. Clinical outcomes were evaluated at 1-year follow-up. Results Post-procedure (PO-) QCA measurements were similar in all stent groups, and between OL and non-OL subsegments in each individual type of stents. Percent IH was lower in SES and PES vs. BMS (p < 0.05). Percent IH was significantly greater in OL subsegment compared with non-OL subsegment in BMS (p < 0.05), but not in all type of DES groups. SES showed significantly less %IH compared with PES and TES in OL and non-OL subsegments. Vessel area at the OL remained unchanged from PO to FU in all type of DES and BMS groups. There were no aneurysm formation and no stent thrombosis up to 1-year follow-up. Conclusions Overlapping BMS is associated with enhanced IH response in diabetic patients, whereas overlapping DES, particularly SES and PES, appear effective to inhibit IH without detectable late vascular adverse effects.