Relationship between thrombus age in aspirated coronary material and mid-term major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background and aims: Recent studies have shown that coronary thrombus histopathology is associated with impaired myocardial reperfusion and poor clinical outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We sought to investigate the age of thrombi aspirated during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with AMI and evaluate the relationship between histopathologic findings and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) defined as all-cause death, stroke, or myocardial infarction within 6 months of PCI. Methods: In this prospective 2-center observational study, coronary material was obtained during PCI from 305 patients with AMI within 24 h of symptom onset. Thrombi were morphologically classified as either only fresh or older (lytic changes or organization). Results: MACCE occurred in 38 (12.5%) patients. Only fresh thrombi were observed in 114 (37%) of 305 patients; older thrombi were identified in 191 (63%). The rate of MACCE was significantly higher among patients with older thrombus (p = 0.011). Multivariate analysis also showed the presence of older thrombus [odds ratio (OR) 3.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.122-9.522] is an independent predictor of MACCE within 6 months of PCI, as well as age (OR 1.051, 95% CI 1.013-1.094) and creatine kinase concentration (OR 1.025, 95% CI 1.013-1.037). The prevalence of slow flow or distal embolization during PCI and peak creatine kinase concentration were significantly higher in the older thrombus group (p < 0.05, respectively). Conclusions: Older thrombus found in aspirated coronary material is associated with impaired myocardial reperfusion and is an independent predictor of mid-term MACCE in patients with AMI. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.