AimsBioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVSs) have been studied in chronic coronary artery disease, but not in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This prospective multicentre study analysed the feasibility and safety of BVS implantation during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI) in STEMI.Methods and resultsBioresorbable vascular scaffold implantation became the default strategy for all consecutive STEMI patients between 15 December 2012 and 30 August 2013. A total of 142 patients underwent p-PCI; 41 of them (28.9%) fulfilled the inclusion/exclusion criteria for BVS implantation. The BVS device success was 98%, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction 3 flow was restored in 95% of patients, and acute scaffold recoil was 9.7%. An optical coherence tomography (OCT) substudy (21 patients) demonstrated excellent procedural results with only a 1.1% rate of scaffold strut malapposition. Edge dissections were present in a 38% of patients, but were small and clinically silent. Reference vessel diameter measured by quantitative coronary angiography was significantly lower than that measured by OCT by 0.29 (±0.56) mm, P = 0.028. Clinical outcomes were compared between BVS group and Control group; the latter was formed by patients who had implanted metallic stent and were in Killip Class I or II. Combined clinical endpoint was defined as death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization. Event-free survival was the same in both groups; 95% for BVS and 93% for Control group, P = 0.674.ConclusionBioresorbable vascular scaffold implantation in acute STEMI is feasible and safe. The procedural results evaluated by angiography and OCT are excellent. The early clinical results are encouraging.

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Summary. The authors describe an assumed but hitherto undiscovered variant of incomplete ‘Bombay’ phenotype, designated as Bh, with partial suppression of the B antigen. The erythrocytes contain a very weak B antigen, at quantitative level B20; they are H‐negative and Lea‐positive. The serum contains anti‐A, anti‐B and anti‐H antibodies. The patient is a secretor of Lea and a non‐secretor of ABH. The quantitative and immunogenetic properties of the variant are discussed. It is supposed that the variant is the effect of the gene combinations Hxh, or HxHx at the Hh locus. We wish to thank the physicians attending the patient K. M., Dr. V. Kluge from Tatranská Kotlina and Dr. L. Dráč; from Vel'ký. Šariš for assistance in obtaining the necessary blood samples.