Drug-eluting stent, but not bare metal stent, accentuates the systematic inflammatory response in patients

Objective: The systematic pro-inflammatory responses after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents (DES) remain poorly defined. Therefore, we compared the systematic pro-inflammatory state of circulating mononuclear cells (MNCs) between DES and bare metal stent (BMS) implantation. Methods: Patients with indications for treatment with stents were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to placement of DES or BMS. The primary endpoint was a change of pro-inflammatory state at 12 weeks post-procedure. Results: Thirty-six consecutive patients received DES or BMS. At 12 weeks after stent implantation, the lipid profile and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) improved significantly in both groups. The mRNA levels and plasma concentrations of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor- and matrix metalloproteinase-9 were significantly elevated in the DES group, which was not observed in the BMS group. An increase in NF-κB binding activity and a decrease in PPAR-γ expression in MNCs were observed in the DES group, along with increases in IκB phosphorylation and p50 expression. However, similar changes were not observed in the BMS group. Conclusions: Systematic inflammatory responses were accentuated after the patients were treated percutaneously with DES, despite their improved lipid profile and hs-CRP. These data may provide fundamental information for optimizing therapeutic strategy in the era of DES.