Effect of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor blockade with abciximab on clinical and angiographic restenosis rate after the placement of coronary stents following acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES In the Intracoronary Stenting and Antithrombotic Regimen-2 trial (ISAR-2), we sought to investigate the effect of abciximab on angiographic and clinical restenosis after stenting following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We also intended to assess the impact of abciximab on clinical outcome in this setting. BACKGROUND It is unclear whether abciximab reduces neointima formation after stenting. Such an effect may be particularly prominent in thrombus-containing lesions. METHODS Patients undergoing stenting within 48 h after onset of AMI were randomly assigned to receive either standard-dose heparin or abciximab plus reduced-dose heparin. Of 401 patients randomized, 366 without 30-day adverse events were eligible for six-month angiographic follow-up. Scheduled angiography was performed in 80% of these patients. RESULTS By 30 days, the composite clinical end point of death, reinfarction, and target lesion revascularization (TLR) was reached in 5.0% of the abciximab group and in 10.5% of the control group (p = 0.038). At one year, absolute reduction in the composite clinical end point by abciximab was still 5.7% but had lost its statistical significance. Our primary end point, late lumen loss, was 1.26 ± 0.85 mm with abciximab and 1.21 ± 0.74 mm with standard heparin (p = 0.61), and binary angiographic restenosis rates were 31.1% and 30.6%, respectively (p = 0.92). CONCLUSIONS In patients undergoing stenting following AMI, abciximab exerted beneficial effects by substantially reducing the 30-day rate of major adverse cardiac events. During one-year follow-up, there was no additional benefit from a reduction in TLR nor did abciximab reduce angiographic restenosis.