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Circulation. 1996;93:215-222

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(Circulation. 1996;93:215-222.)
© 1996 American Heart Association, Inc.


Articles

A Randomized Comparison of Combined Ticlopidine and Aspirin Therapy Versus Aspirin Therapy Alone After Successful Intravascular Ultrasound–Guided Stent Implantation

Presented in part at the 67th Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association, Dallas, Tex, November 14-17, 1994, and published in abstract form in Circulation (1994;90[pt 2]:I-124).

Patrick Hall, MD; Shigeru Nakamura, MD; Luigi Maiello, MD; Akira Itoh, MD; Simonetta Blengino, MD; Giovanni Martini, CCP; Massimo Ferraro, RT; Antonio Colombo, MD

From Centro Cuore Columbus, Milan, Italy, and Toho University Ohashi Hospital, Third Department of Internal Medicine (S.N.), Tokyo, Japan.

Correspondence to Antonio Colombo, MD, Centro Coure Columbus, Via M Buonarotti 48, Milan 20145, Italy.


*    Abstract
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*Abstract
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Background Previous studies have shown that it is feasible to withhold anticoagulation after a successful intracoronary stent procedure with a low incidence of stent thrombosis. The importance of specific antiplatelet agents when stenting is performed without anticoagulation is unknown.

Methods and Results After successful intravascular ultrasound–guided stenting, 226 patients were randomly assigned to receive either aspirin therapy alone (n=103) or a combination of ticlopidine and short-term aspirin therapy (n=123). Primary angiographic and clinical end points were stent thrombosis, death, myocardial infarction, the need for postprocedure coronary artery bypass surgery or repeated angioplasty, and significant medication side effects requiring termination of the medication within the first month of a successful procedure. At 1 month, the rate of stent thrombosis was 2.9% in the aspirin only group and 0.8% in the ticlopidine-aspirin group (P=.2). Cumulative major clinical events after successful stenting occurred in 3.9% of the patients in the aspirin group and in 0.8% in the ticlopidine-aspirin group (P=.1). There were no medication side effects in the aspirin group; in the combined ticlopidine-aspirin group, medication side effects occurred in 3 patients (P=.2).

Conclusions At 1 month, there was no difference in the incidence of stent thrombosis or other clinical end points between the two poststent antiplatelet regimens. However, the relatively small size of the study and the low incidence of thrombosis events may have contributed to the failure to detect differences in angiographic and clinical end points between the two groups.


Key Words: stents • ultrasonics


*    Introduction
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An era of increasingly widespread use of intracoronary stents for the treatment of coronary artery lesions is just beginning, after a long process of scientific investigation. Even with the proven benefits of intracoronary stent implantation, bleeding complications from a stringent anticoagulation regimen impose significant practical and economic limitations to increased clinical use and have not eliminated stent thrombosis.1 2 3 4 Although it is generally accepted that all metallic stents have thrombogenic potential, the incidence of stent thrombosis has generally decreased as operators have become more experienced and the stent technique has improved.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The use of intravascular ultrasound evaluation after stent implantation provided clear evidence that stent underexpansion was a principal cause of stent thrombosis.9 10 In a subsequent prospective trial of 321 consecutive patients undergoing intravascular ultrasound–guided Palmaz-Schatz stent implantation, the incidence of stent thrombosis within the first month was 0.9% in patients receiving only antiplatelet therapy (ticlopidine 250 mg BID for 1 to 2 months with short-term aspirin 325 mg/d or aspirin 325 mg/d alone) after a successful procedure. Improvement in stent expansion was achieved by use of either higher pressures or larger balloons.9 10 11 12

Using similar techniques for final stent optimization, other European investigators have reported on the safety of stent implantation performed without subsequent warfarin and without intravascular ultrasound guidance.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Stent thrombosis rates of 0% to 2% have been reported with either ticlopidine alone or ticlopidine-aspirin therapy after a successful stent procedure. The results have stimulated the increasingly common usage of ticlopidine after stent implantation procedures despite the increased risk of leukopenia that occurs in up to 2% to 2.5% of patients treated with ticlopidine. Despite the encouraging results and low thrombosis rates achievable with ticlopidine-based therapy after successful stent implantation, the clinical superiority in efficacy of ticlopidine over aspirin therapy in the prevention of stent thrombosis has never been proved. Therefore, we conducted a randomized study comparing the safety and efficacy of ticlopidine with short-term aspirin and aspirin alone after a successful intravascular ultrasound–guided stent implantation procedure.


*    Methods
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*Methods
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From January 1994 through March 1995, 226 patients with 294 lesions were enrolled in this randomized study. During the study, 541 coronary interventions were performed. Stent deployment was attempted in 358 patients (66%), coronary angioplasty was performed in 176 patients (33%), and 7 patients (1%) underwent either directional atherectomy or rotational ablation procedures. There were 132 patients (37%) who underwent attempted stent implantation who were not enrolled in the study. The reasons for exclusion were an unsuccessful procedure (14 patients), a suboptimal result believed to require anticoagulation (13 patients), treatment with an antiplatelet agent other than aspirin or ticlopidine (4 patients), enrollment in a stent trial that required the use of anticoagulation after stent implantation (5 patients), and the need for treatment with warfarin for other medical reasons (3 patients). During the course of the study, 84 patients (23% of the total stent volume) also had successful intravascular ultrasound–guided stent implantation and were treated with ticlopidine-aspirin or aspirin alone after the procedure who either did not consent to enrollment in the study or were treated according to the preference of the referring physician.

Entry criteria included coronary artery disease manifested by clinical symptoms or objective evidence of myocardial ischemia either on exercise test or by nuclear scintigraphy and angiographic evidence of single-vessel or multivessel coronary disease with target lesion stenosis >70% by visual estimate. Exclusion criteria included small vessels (<2.5 mm by visual estimate) and angiographically diffuse distal disease that might compromise outflow after stent insertion. Patients who were allergic to aspirin, were taking ticlopidine or other nonaspirin antiplatelet agents before the procedure, or required warfarin for other medical reasons also were excluded. The study required completion of a successful intravascular ultrasound–guided stent implantation procedure. Patients with suboptimal results at the end of the stent procedure owing to stent underexpansion, inability to adequately cover dissections, or residual lesions adjacent to the stent were treated with a standard anticoagulation regimen consisting of heparin and warfarin and were excluded from study enrollment.

Stent Implantation Procedure
Patients received aspirin 325 mg and calcium channel antagonists before stent deployment. A bolus of 10 000 U heparin was given after sheath insertion, with an additional bolus of 5000 U given as needed to maintain the activated clotted time to >250 seconds. Patients were not given dextran or dipyridamole before, during, or after the stent procedure. Ticlopidine was not administered before or during the stent procedure. Six different types of stents were used during this study: the Palmaz-Schatz stent (Johnson and Johnson Interventional Systems Co), the Gianturco-Roubin stent (Cook Cardiology, Cook, Inc), the Wiktor stent (Medtronic, Inc), the Micro stent (Applied Vascular Engineering), the Wall stent (Schneider Inc), and the Cordis stent (Cordis Corp). After predilation or balloon angioplasty, stents were delivered with standard guidelines. The majority of the Palmaz-Schatz stents deployed were bare stents inserted with previously described techniques.12 23 After deployment of all stents, further dilations were performed with noncompliant balloons (for the Palmaz-Schatz and Wall stents) or minimally compliant balloons (for all coiled stents). After the angiographic result was considered acceptable, intravascular ultrasound was performed. All subsequent treatment decisions were based on the ultrasound results in conjunction with angiographic assessment, as described later. Further balloon dilation or stent implantation was performed to achieve an acceptable ultrasound result.

Stent implantation was performed electively, for suboptimal results, for restenosis after previous angioplasty, for the treatment of chronic occlusions, and for threatened or acute closure by standard definitions.12 Emergency stent implantation was considered stent deployment performed for acute or threatened closure. Multiple stents were defined as the use of more than one stent per lesion or patient. For the purpose of counting the number of each type of stent, each stent was counted as one stent. For calculating the mean number of stents per lesion or patient, the short Palmaz-Schatz stents and 4 or 8 mm Micro stents were counted as half stents; all other stents were counted as one stent.

Intravascular Ultrasound Equipment and Measurements
Coronary arteries were imaged with a 2.9F or 3.2F monorail system with a 30-MHz transducer-tipped catheter (Cardiovascular Imaging System). Validation of quantitative measurements, pathological correlation with ultrasound measurements, and intraobserver and interobserver reproducibilities were reported previously.12 24 Images were obtained with a manual or an automated pullback system. The position of the catheter on fluoroscopy was used to correlate the ultrasound image with the angiogram. Data were stored on 0.5-in super VHS videotape. On-line quantitative measurements were performed during the procedure. The ultrasound catheter was advanced distal to the stent, and images were recorded while the imaging catheter was pulled slowly through the stented segment. Measurements were made at the proximal or distal reference sites (generally, within 5 to 10 mm of the stented segment) of the vessel cross-sectional area (CSA), vessel minor and major diameters, lumen CSA, and lumen minor and major diameters. The reference site measurements were made at sites that did not appear severely diseased on intravascular ultrasound image and that had minimal balloon trauma from prior balloon dilation. The vessel border (as distinguished from the lumen) was defined on the ultrasound image as the outer boundary of the echo-lucent media surrounding the plaque. Lumen measurements were made at the inner border of the echo-dense plaque. Intrastent lumen CSA and diameter measurements were made at the tightest position within the stent. The average of the proximal and distal vessel CSAs was used to estimate the vessel dimensions of the stented segment because intense echo reverberations from the metallic struts frequently prevented measurements of the vessel boundary beyond the stent. Intravascular ultrasound imaging was performed in the reference sites and the stented segment at the initial intravascular ultrasound evaluation and after each series of balloon dilations. Measurements were made at the tightest point within the stented segment after each series of balloon dilations. The measurements at the reference site were done on the initial intravascular ultrasound evaluation to minimize the potential balloon dilation effect that might increase the dimensions of the reference site.

Intravascular Ultrasound Criteria for Optimal Stent Expansion
The criteria for optimal stent expansion were governed by the principles of optimizing stent expansion and covering the full extent of the lesion to minimize any potential impairment to flow that could contribute to stent thrombosis. The first criterion was a qualitative evaluation of the stent site involving the achievement of good stent apposition to the vessel wall with good plaque compression. The quantitative criterion for stent expansion used was the achievement of an intrastent lumen CSA (at the tightest measured point) that was 80% of the distal reference lumen CSA. In smaller vessels in which the lesions had a measured CSA of <7.5 mm2, this quantitative criterion was modified slightly so that it was the achievement of stent lumen greater than the distal lumen CSA. This was done to account for the higher risk of partial obstructions in the stented segments in smaller vessels compared with larger vessels. Critical lesions in adjacent unstented segments, particularly dissections extending to the media as identified on ultrasound evaluation, were treated by additional stent implantation.

Angiographic Analysis
Coronary angiograms were analyzed without knowledge of the intravascular ultrasound data by experienced angiographers not involved in the stenting procedure. Patients received intracoronary nitroglycerin before baseline and final angiograms to achieve maximal vasodilation. To optimize reproducibility, the position of the radiogram gantry was recorded in all views at the time of the baseline angiograms, and final angiograms were performed in matching views. Angiographic measurements were performed during diastole. The lesions were measured from an optically magnified image in a single, matched "worst" view with digital calipers (Brown and Sharp). The guiding catheter was used as the reference object for magnification calibration. Previous studies have shown that digital calipers correlate closely with computer-assisted methods with low interobserver and intraobserver variabilities.25 26 Minimal lumen diameter and percent diameter stenosis were obtained on the baseline and final angiograms. The diameters of the proximal and distal lumen reference sites were averaged to obtain a mean reference diameter. The average reference diameter was used to calculate the percent diameter stenosis at baseline and final angiograms. The average reference diameter was used for these calculations to have a correlation with the proximal and distal measurements performed on intravascular ultrasound and because the average reference vessel was thought to be a better reflection of the vessel size when multiple stents were placed in long segments of various diameters. Lesion length was measured on baseline angiography from the point at which the lumen was compromised by 50% at the proximal or distal reference vessel site. Lesions were characterized according to the modified American College of Cardiology–American Heart Association score.27 The distance between lesions in the same vessel was measured. Long lesions were defined as a single continuous narrowing >15 mm. The presence of thrombus, defined as a filling defect seen in multiple projections surrounded by contrast in the absence of calcification, was noted at baseline or during the procedure. Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade flow was recorded at the time of the initial procedure to characterize the indication for stenting as previously described.28

Postprocedure Medication Protocol
If the intravascular ultrasound criteria for optimal stent expansion were met and the angiographic result was acceptable, no further heparin was administered, and sheaths were removed in 4 to 6 hours. When procedures were performed in the evening, heparin was infused overnight, and the sheaths were removed the following morning. After a successful procedure, patients were randomized to receive either ticlopidine 250 mg BID for 1 month with short-term aspirin 325 mg for 5 days or aspirin 325 mg/d. After 1 month of treatment by an assigned antiplatelet regimen, the patients received a standardized treatment with 325 mg/d indefinitely. Ticlopidine was given for a single month because this is the time period for assessing the risk of stent thrombosis and limiting the potential for adverse side effects. The randomization was performed with a standard list of random numbers. The administration of the antiplatelet agents was open label; the physicians and patients were not blinded.

Events and Follow-up
This study was a randomized comparison of poststent treatment with two different antiplatelet regimens. Accordingly, a comparison of clinical events and medication side effects within the first month after a successful stent procedure between the combined ticlopidine-aspirin and aspirin only groups was performed. An assessment of complications at 1 month was performed because this is the standard time period for evaluating stent thrombosis; it also was the duration of treatment with ticlopidine. Major clinical events were death, emergency bypass surgery, elective bypass surgery, myocardial infarction (Q wave or non–Q wave), emergency repeated intervention (bailout stenting or repeated angioplasty), and vascular complications. Specific major event definition was death regardless of cause. A diagnosis of Q-wave myocardial infarction was made when there was the documentation of new pathological Q waves (>=0.14 seconds) on an ECG in conjunction with elevation of creatine kinase to more than twice the upper limit of normal. Non–Q-wave myocardial infarction was defined as elevation of the cardiac enzymes to more than twice the upper limit of normal without the development of new pathological Q waves. Emergency coronary bypass surgery was defined as bypass surgery involving immediate transfer of the patient from the catheterization laboratory to the operating room. Elective coronary bypass surgery was nonemergency bypass surgery performed >24 hours after a stent procedure for procedural failure in the absence of ischemia or evolving myocardial infarction. Acute thrombosis events were defined as angiographically documented occlusion with TIMI grade 0 flow at the stent site within 24 hours of the stent procedure. Subacute thrombosis events were angiographically documented occlusions with TIMI grade 0 flow at the stent site >24 hours after the stent procedure. Unexplained sudden death in the first month after a stent implantation procedure was considered a stent thrombosis event. Emergency intervention included bailout stenting or emergency angioplasty performed for ongoing acute ischemia or evolving myocardial infarction in the setting of an angiographically documented stent thrombosis event. Vascular complications were defined as the occurrence of bleeding or hematoma formation at the access site that required transfusion, vascular repair, or external compression. Medication side effects also were recorded.

After a successful procedure, patients were generally discharged from the hospital within 1 to 2 days. Clinical follow-up was performed by telephone contact of all patients within 1 to 4 months of hospital discharge. The short-term complications (stent thrombosis) continued to be assessed carefully through regular and uniform contact of all patients within 4 weeks of hospital discharge and 2 months later.

Statistical Analysis
The primary clinical analysis consisted of a comparison of the major clinical events and medication side effects at 1 month between the two study groups. Normally distributed data are expressed as mean±SD. Data that were not normally distributed are expressed as a median with a range of values. Comparisons between equivalent groups were performed by a two-tailed t test. Comparisons of discrete variables were made by {chi}2 analysis. Differences were considered statistically significant at P<.05.


*    Results
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*Results
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Patient Characteristics
After appropriate consent was obtained, a total of 226 patients were randomly assigned to either ticlopidine with short-term aspirin (n=123, 163 lesions) or aspirin alone (n=103, 131 lesions) after successful intravascular ultrasound–guided stent implantation. A higher percentage of patients had prior coronary artery bypass or diabetes in the ticlopidine-aspirin group compared with the aspirin only group. Otherwise, there were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics of the two groups (Table 1Down). As Table 2Down shows, the baseline angiographic characteristics between the two groups were similar, except the incidence of total occlusions at baseline angiography was higher in the aspirin group (15%) than in the ticlopidine-aspirin group (8%, P<.05). The indication for stent implantation and the type and number of stents deployed in the two groups also were similar (Table 3Down).


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Table 1. Baseline Clinical Characteristics of 226 Randomized Patients


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Table 2. Angiographic Characteristics of 226 Randomized Patients


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Table 3. Stent Implantation Procedure Characteristics of 226 Randomized Patients

Postprocedure Clinical Outcome at 1 Month
There were no acute stent thrombosis events in either of the two antiplatelet treatment groups (Table 4Down). At the 1-month clinical follow-up, the subacute stent thrombosis rates were not significantly different in the two groups (P=.2). The incidence of angiographically documented stent thrombosis in the ticlopidine-aspirin group was 0.8%, with the single event occurring 12 days after stent implantation. Three stent thrombosis events (2.8%) occurred in the aspirin only group. The stent thrombosis events were angiographically documented in two patients on days 5 and 10 after the stent implantation procedure; the third was presumed to be a stent thrombosis event after the patient died suddenly 20 days after stent implantation. This was a witnessed death that occurred without prodrome of chest pain in a patient with no antecedent history of ventricular arrhythmias. There was no difference in the major clinical events that occurred the first month after stent implantation between the two groups. Although there was no significant difference in the mortality rates between the two groups, it is noteworthy that each of the stent thrombosis events in the aspirin only group resulted in death (2.8%). In contrast, there were no deaths in the ticlopidine-aspirin group in the 1-month follow-up period.


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Table 4. Frequency of Primary Clinical and Angiographic Events at 1-Month Clinical Follow-up

One vascular complication required surgical repair in the aspirin only group (1%); no vascular complications occurred in the ticlopidine-aspirin group (P=.1). No bleeding complications occurred in either group. There was no difference in side effects between the two groups (P=.2). There were no medication side effects requiring termination of aspirin. The incidence of side effects requiring termination of ticlopidine was 2.4%. The reason for stopping ticlopidine was skin rash in two patients (1.6%), which resolved after the ticlopidine was discontinued, and leukopenia (neutropenia) in one patient (0.8%). The leukopenia was significant, with an absolute white cell count of <500 cells/mm3, and was complicated by sepsis requiring hospitalization and treatment with broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics for 2 weeks.

Angiographic and Intravascular Ultrasound Analysis
Angiographic data were obtained for all lesions (Table 5Down). The quantitative baseline angiographic measurements illustrate that the two antiplatelet therapy groups were well matched according to vessel size and lesion length. The final angiographic data also were similar in the two groups. The cumulative distributions of the baseline and final minimum lumen diameters and percent diameter stenoses in the two groups are shown in Figs 1Down and 2Down, respectively.


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Table 5. Comparison of Baseline and Final Quantitative Angiography Results of 226 Randomized Patients



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Figure 1. Plot showing the cumulative frequency distribution of the baseline and final minimum lumen diameters of the two poststent implantation antiplatelet therapy groups. There was no statistical difference in the baseline and final minimum lumen diameter between the aspirin only and ticlopidine-aspirin groups.



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Figure 2. Plot showing the cumulative frequency distribution of the baseline and final diameter stenoses of the two poststent implantation antiplatelet therapy groups. There was no statistical difference in the baseline and final diameter stenoses between the aspirin only and ticlopidine-aspirin groups.

Final quantitative intravascular ultrasound measurements were performed for all lesions (Table 6Down). The final CSA, percent plaque area, diameter measurements, and eccentricity index were not significantly different in the two groups. Fig 3Down shows the cumulative distribution of the final stent lumen CSAs of the two groups. At the proximal reference vessel site, the vessel CSA was significantly larger in the aspirin group (16.2±5.1 mm2) than in the ticlopidine-aspirin group (14.9±4.3 mm2, P=.04). The lumen, vessel, and percent plaque area measurements at the distal and proximal reference vessel sites were otherwise similar in the two groups.


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Table 6. Comparison of Quantitative Intravascular Ultrasound Results in 226 Randomized Patients



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Figure 3. Plot showing the cumulative frequency distribution of the final lumen cross-sectional areas (CSA) of the two poststent implantation antiplatelet therapy groups. There was no statistical difference in the final lumen CSA between the aspirin only and ticlopidine-aspirin groups.


*    Discussion
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*Discussion
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The results of this randomized study evaluating the efficacy and safety of two different antiplatelet therapies administered without anticoagulation after successful intravascular ultrasound–guided stent implantation provide further support for the concept that anticoagulation can be safely withheld when adequate stent expansion is achieved and flow is optimized in the stented and adjacent inflow and outflow segments. The incidence of stent thrombosis for the combined 226 patient cohort was 1.8%, a reflection of the relatively infrequent occurrence of this early angiographic complication after optimized stent implantation. We found no difference in stent thrombosis rates between the two groups. It is worth noting that the incidence of stent thrombosis was 2.1% higher in the aspirin only group. Given the infrequent occurrence of stent thrombosis, it could be argued that the study was not sufficiently large to detect a statistically significant difference in the incidence of stent thrombosis between the two groups.

Although the side effect profile between the two groups was similar, significant leukopenia caused by ticlopidine therapy was documented in one patient (0.8%) who required prolonged hospitalization and treatment of a life-threatening infection with intravenous antibiotics. The principal significant side effect of ticlopidine is idiopathic bone marrow suppression, which manifests as leukopenia in up to 2.0% to 2.5% of patients treated with ticlopidine.29 30 Recovery from the leukopenia typically occurs within 4 to 21 days after the medication is stopped.29 30 The incidence of severe leukopenia with absolute neutrophil counts <500 cells/mm3 is 0.8%.29 30 Although the incidence of leukopenia appears diminished with the short duration of therapy necessary after successful stent implantation, the results of the present study and from previous experience without anticoagulation illustrate that the risk is not abolished and should be considered in the risk and benefit assessment.12

Arterial Thrombus Formation and the Mechanisms of Action of Ticlopidine and Aspirin
Coronary artery thrombosis remains a platelet-dependent event even after a metallic stent is implanted. The stimulus for platelet activation and aggregation is derived from vascular injury or damage to the vessel wall as occurs during a coronary intervention; an impairment in the normal rheology of blood flow (such as in the presence of an underexpanded stent); and activation of the coagulation factors that culminates in the formation of thrombin, a strong agonist for platelet activation.31 32 33 Platelet activation initiates several metabolic pathways that result in degranulation of the platelets and release of additional agonists for platelet activation and recruitment.34 Platelet degranulation is mediated by the action of platelet agonists such as ADP, thromboxane A2, thrombin, and collagen acting through various receptors and secondary messengers.35 The final common pathway leading to platelet aggregation and the formation of a platelet plug or thrombus is induced by the conformational change and externalization of the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor.36 The glycoprotein IIb/IIIa molecule serves as a binding site for adhesive macromolecules such as fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor that cross-link adjacent platelets together to form the platelet plug or the occlusive thrombus.36

Aspirin exerts its effect on reducing thrombotic events in this complex milieu by blocking the formation of thromboxane A2, a powerful mediator of platelet degranulation, through permanent inactivation of the cyclooxygenase enzyme. Ticlopidine has effects on platelet activity that give it a theoretical advantage over aspirin. The primary action of ticlopidine is to irreversibly block the binding of fibrinogen to platelets, an effect that appears to be 85% effective against inhibiting platelet aggregation, the final common pathway to the formation of thrombus.37 38 This effect is not associated with a conformational change in the glycoprotein IIa/IIIb receptor or an alteration of the platelet membrane with the specific mechanism not yet elucidated.39 There have been no reports on whether the combination of aspirin and ticlopidine provides a synergistic effect on reducing platelet activation and aggregation. The potential for such a synergistic effect is appealing, given the difference in their principal mechanism of action and the incomplete effects of both agents in preventing platelet aggregation and thrombus formation.

The present study represents the only randomized comparison of efficacy and safety between the two poststent antiplatelet regimens, with results suggesting that there may be only small differences, if any, in efficacy between treatment with aspirin only and with ticlopidine-aspirin. Despite the lack of comparative information on antiplatelet therapy after successful stent implantation, numerous reports seem to confirm the efficacy of ticlopidine-based therapies after successful optimized stent expansion.11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Morice et al15 reported on the French multicenter trial on coronary stenting without warfarin (phases II and III) with 1-month treatment with ticlopidine 500 mg/d and aspirin 100 mg/d, and after 2 to 4 weeks of treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin, they reported a 0.9% to 1.5% incidence of stent thrombosis with a 3.6% to 3.8% incidence of vascular or bleeding complications in 498 patients.15 Other investigations report stent thrombosis rates of 0.9% to 3.6% in cohorts of patients treated only with ticlopidine and aspirin in conjunction with low-molecular-weight heparin after a successful stent procedure.16 17 18 19 20 Morice et al22 subsequently reported on the French Registry on coronary stenting without warfarin or intravascular ultrasound guidance (phase V) with only ticlopidine and aspirin in 1156 patients and noted a 1.6% incidence of stent thrombosis and a bleeding or vascular complication rate of 0.6%. In an experience that involved treatment with only ticlopidine 500 mg/d started 3 days before stent implantation, Barragan et al21 noted a 1.1% incidence of stent thrombosis and a 1% incidence of bleeding or vascular complications.

Changing Gold Standards
The primary benefits of treatment with only antiplatelet therapy and without anticoagulation after stent implantation are a reduction in vascular complications and the potential to reduce the duration of hospitalization, both of which improve the economics of stent implantation. Even when the slightly increased risk profile of ticlopidine compared with aspirin is considered, ticlopidine therapy seems more acceptable than treatment with warfarin, which has never been documented to reduce thrombosis rates after stent implantation compared with aspirin or any other antiplatelet agent. Treatment with ticlopidine, however, does require laboratory monitoring because of the unpredictable and potentially life-threatening occurrence of idiopathic bone marrow suppression. Incumbent in any poststenting antiplatelet or medical regimen is the imperative need to have acceptable stent thrombosis rates of <1%. In the present study, that goal was achieved in the ticlopidine-aspirin group but not in the aspirin only group. Preliminary experience with a stent that has covalently bound heparin suggests that heparin coating on a stent may provide an additional security in consistently reducing stent thrombosis to <1%.40

Study Limitations
This study has several limitations. Although the study was randomized, the randomization was open label. A single- or double-blind randomization protocol may have provided a more scientific assessment of the efficacy and safety of the two antiplatelet regimens. There was a slight imbalance in the number of patients in each group owing to premature termination of the study before the expected target of 450 patients after the three deaths in the aspirin group. With the low incidence of stent thrombosis in the present era of stent implantation and the relatively small differences in stent thrombosis rates in the two groups, a larger cohort of patients clearly is necessary to assess for a significant difference between the antiplatelet regimens. In view of the important clinical and regulatory ramifications, such a study would best be performed as a multicenter trial with angiographic core laboratory. The stent implantation procedures in this study were performed with intravascular ultrasound guidance. It cannot be determined from the present study whether the ultrasound guidance had an equilibrating effect that minimized the differences in efficacy in the two antiplatelet regimens. Results of the French registry suggest that intravascular ultrasound may not be necessary in most patients. Additional randomized clinical trials may be necessary to clearly demonstrate the benefit of ultrasound as a component of the stent procedure. This issue is particularly important when the risk of stent thrombosis is high, as evident in stent implantation performed for emergency reasons or in patients with small vessels or long lesions.

Conclusions
The results of the present study provide further evidence of the safety of treatment with only antiplatelet therapy after optimal stent expansion. Although the difference was not significant, poststent implantation treatment with ticlopidine and short-term aspirin was associated with a slightly lower absolute stent thrombosis rate than treatment with aspirin alone. Until further evidence from larger studies is provided, no definitive recommendations can be made regarding the superiority of ticlopidine and short-term aspirin compared with aspirin therapy alone in the prevention of stent thrombosis.

Received July 31, 1995; revision received September 27, 1995; accepted October 10, 1995.


*    References
up arrowTop
up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMethods
up arrowResults
up arrowDiscussion
*References
 
1. Roubin GS, Cannon AD, Agrawal SK, Macander PJ, Dean LS, Baxley WA, Breland J. Intracoronary stenting for acute or threatened closure complicating percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Circulation. 1992;85:916-927. [Abstract/Free Full Text]

2. George BS, Voorhees WD, Roubin GS, Fearnot NE, Pinkerton CA, Raizner AE, King SB, Holmes DR, Topol ER, Kereiakes DJ, Hartzler GO. Multicenter investigation of coronary stenting to treat acute or threatened closure after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty: clinical and angiographic outcomes. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1993;22:135-143. [Abstract]

3. Fischman DL, Leon MB, Baim D, Schatz RA, Penn I, Detre K, Savage MP, Veltri L, Ricci D, Nobuyoshi M, Cleman M, Heuser R, Almond D, Teirstein P, Fish D, Colombo A, Brinker J, Moses J, Hirshfeld J, Bailey S, Ellis S, Rake R, Goldberg S. A randomized comparison of coronary stent placement and balloon angioplasty in the treatment of coronary artery disease. N Engl J Med. 1994;331:496-501. [Abstract/Free Full Text]

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HeartHome page
C di Mario, B Reimers, Y Almagor, I Moussa, L Di Francesco, M Ferraro, M B Leon, K Richter, and A Colombo
Procedural and follow up results with a new balloon expandable stent in unselected lesions
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CLIN APPL THROMB HEMOSTHome page
R. Altman
Controversies in Antithrombotic Therapy in Cardiovascular Diseases
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T. P. Lecompte, C. Lecrubier, C. Bouloux, M.-H. Horellou, J. Galleyrand, J.-P. Maffrand, and M. M. Samama
Antiplatelet Effects of the Addition of Acetylsalicylic Acid 40 Mg Daily to Ticlopidine in Human Healthy Volunteers
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D. J. Kereiakes, N. Kleiman, J. J. Ferguson, J. P. Runyon, T. M. Broderick, N. A. Higby, L. H. Martin, G. Hantsbarger, S. McDonald, and R. J. Anders
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D. S. Baim and J. P. Carrozza Jr
Stent Thrombosis: Closing in on the Best Preventive Treatment
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R. Albiero, P. Hall, A. Itoh, S. Blengino, S. Nakamura, G. Martini, M. Ferraro, and A. Colombo
Results of a Consecutive Series of Patients Receiving Only Antiplatelet Therapy After Optimized Stent Implantation: Comparison of Aspirin Alone Versus Combined Ticlopidine and Aspirin Therapy
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N. G Uren and N. A. Chronos
Intracoronary stents
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