Smaller low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size has been suggested to result in the development of endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, and in-stent restenosis (ISR); however, little is known regarding the impact of the LDL particle size on the neointima formation leading to ISR after everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation.Methods: In this study, we have included 100 patients to examine the relationship between an LDL-C/ apolipoprotein B (Apo B) ≤ 1.2, reportedly representing the LDL particle size, and the neointimal characteristics using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and coronary angioscopy (CAS) during the follow-up coronary angiography (CAG) period (8.8 2.5 months) after EES implantation. We divided them into two groups: LDL-C/Apo B ≤ 1.2 group (low LDL-C/Apo B group, n 53) and LDL-C/Apo B 1.2 group (high LDL-C/Apo B group, n 47).
Results:The low LDL-C/Apo B group had a significantly larger neointimal volume (12.8 5.3 vs. 10.3 4.9 mm 3 , p 0.021) and lower incidence of a neointimal homogeneous pattern (71 vs. 89 %), higher incidence of a neointimal heterogeneous pattern (25 vs. 9 %) (p 0.006) and higher prevalence of macrophage accumulation (9 vs. 2 %) (p 0.030) as assessed via OCT, and, as per the CAS findings, a higher prevalence of yellow grade ≥ 2 (grade 2; adjusted residual: 2.94, grade 3; adjusted residual: 2.00, p 0.017) than the high LDL-C/Apo B group.
Conclusions:A low LDL-C/Apo B ratio was found to be strongly associated with neointimal proliferation and neointimal instability evidenced chronically by OCT and CAS. An LDL-C/Apo B ≤ 1.2 will be of aid in terms of identifying high-risk patients after EES implantation.(sd-LDL-C). The sd-LDL-C has been often associated with atherosclerosis lipoproteins because of its low affinity for the LDL receptors, easy penetrance into the vessel walls, long blood half-life, and high oxidizability 1) . Numerous reports have suggested a relationship between sd-LDL-C and the onset of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) 2-4) , but a direct measurement of sd-LDL-C has not been widely used Copyright©2021 Japan Atherosclerosis Society This article is distributed under the terms of the latest version of CC BY-NC-SA defined by the Creative Commons Attribution License.