Aims
This study sought to compare the thromboresistance and albumin binding capacity of different durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DES) using dedicated preclinical and in vitro models.
Background
The relative thrombogenicity and albumin adsorption and retention of different durable polymers used in coronary stents has not been tested. Aims: This study sought to compare the thromboresistance and albumin binding capacity of different durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DES) using dedicated preclinical and in vitro models.
Conclusions
These results suggest that thromboresistance and albumin retention vary by polymer type and that these differences might result in different suitability for short-term dual antiplatelet therapy.
Methods
In an ex vivo swine arteriovenous shunt model, a fluoropolymer everolimus-eluting stent (FP-EES) (n=14) was compared with two durable polymer DES, the BioLinx polymer-coated zotarolimus-eluting stent (BL-ZES) (n=9) and a CarboSil elastomer polymer-coated ridaforolimus-eluting stent (EP-RES) (n=6), and bare metal stents (BMS) (n=10). Stents underwent immunostaining using a cocktail of antiplatelet antibodies and a marker for inflammation and were then evaluated by confocal microscopy (CM). Albumin retention was assessed using a flow loop model with labelled human serum albumin (FP-EES [n=8], BL-ZES [n=4], EP-RES [n=4], and BMS [n=7]), and scanned by CM.
Results
The area of platelet adherence (normalised to total stent surface area) was lower in the order FP-EES (9.8%), BL-ZES (32.7%), EP-RES (87.6%) and BMS (202.0%), and inflammatory cell density was least for FP-EES <BL-ZES <EP-RES <BMS. Although nearly full coverage by albumin binding was shown for all durable polymer DES, FP-EES showed significantly greater intensity of albumin as compared to BL-ZES, EP-RES and BMS (FP-EES 79.0%; BL-ZES 13.2%; EP-RES 6.1%; BMS 1.5%). Conclusions: These results suggest that thromboresistance and albumin retention vary by polymer type and that these differences might result in different suitability for short-term dual antiplatelet therapy.