Association between cholesterol efflux capacity and coronary restenosis after successful stent implantation

The measurement of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) functionality could be useful for identifying patients who have an increased risk of coronary restenosis after stent implantation. In the present study, we elucidates whether HDL functionality can predict restenosis. The participants included 48 consecutive patients who had stable angina and were successfully implanted with a drug-eluting stent (DES) or bare-metal stent. Follow-up coronary angiography was performed after 6-8 months of stenting. Cholesterol efflux and the anti-inflammatory capacity of HDL were measured before stenting (at baseline) and at follow-up. The mean age was 64 ± 11 years and the body mass index was 24 ± 3 kg/m(2). While HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) significantly increased from baseline to follow-up, there was no significant association between HDL-C level at baseline and in-stent late loss. Cholesterol efflux capacity was significantly increased from baseline to follow-up. The efflux capacity at baseline was negatively correlated with in-stent late loss, whereas the anti-oxidative activity of HDL at baseline was not associated with in-stent late loss. We analyzed the predictors of in-stent late loss using independent variables (efflux capacity and anti-oxidative capacity at baseline in addition to age, gender, HDL-C and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol at baseline, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, lesion length and DES implantation, history of myocardial infarction and prior percutaneous coronary intervention) by a multiple regression analysis. The efflux capacity at baseline was only independently associated with in-stent late loss. In conclusion, cholesterol efflux capacity at baseline could predict coronary restenosis in patients with successful stent implantation.