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Updated: Jun 7, 2025

Postconditioning with Lactate-enriched Blood for Cardioprotection in ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Published on: May 28, 2019
Interleukin-1 Blockade in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Across the Spectrum of Coronary
Martin Denicolai1,2, Matteo Morello1, Michele Golino1,3
1Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center and Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.
Insights
Anakinra, an IL-1 blockade therapy, reduces heart failure risk in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. This benefit was observed regardless of coronary artery disease (CAD) complexity, suggesting broad applicability.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and complex coronary artery disease (CAD) have a high risk of heart failure (HF).
- Anakinra has shown potential in reducing inflammation and HF post-STEMI in prior studies, but its efficacy across varying CAD complexity was unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of anakinra on inflammatory markers and clinical outcomes in STEMI patients with diverse CAD complexity.
- To determine if CAD complexity influences anakinra's effectiveness in preventing HF and other adverse events.
Main Methods:
- A pooled secondary analysis of 139 STEMI patients treated with anakinra.
- Coronary artery disease complexity was assessed using SYNTAX, SYNTAX II, and Gensini scores.
- Outcomes included high-sensitivity C-reactive protein area-under-the-curve (hsCRP-AUC) and a composite endpoint of HF, HF hospitalization, or all-cause death at 1 year.
Main Results:
- Higher CAD complexity scores (SYNTAX, SYNTAX II, Gensini) correlated with increased adverse event risk.
- Anakinra significantly reduced hsCRP-AUC and the composite clinical endpoint.
- No significant interaction was found between CAD complexity and anakinra's treatment effect on either outcome.
Conclusions:
- IL-1 blockade with anakinra effectively attenuates acute inflammation and reduces HF risk in STEMI patients.
- The benefits of anakinra in this setting are consistent across the spectrum of coronary artery disease complexity.
Abstract:
Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and complex coronary artery disease (CAD) face a poor prognosis, including increased heart failure (HF) risk. Phase 2 clinical trials of anakinra have shown inhibition of the acute inflammatory response and prevention of HF after STEMI, but data on its effects based on CAD complexity are lacking. We performed a pooled secondary analysis of 139 patients with STEMI. The SYNTAX (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery), SYNTAX II, and Gensini scores were calculated, and patients were divided into 2 groups below and above the median. We evaluated the effect of anakinra on the area-under-the-curve of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP-AUC) at 14 days, and the composite endpoint of new-onset HF, HF hospitalization, or all-cause death at 1-year follow-up using Kaplan-Meier survival curves, Cox regression analysis for hazard ratios (HRs), and tested interactions between subgroups. All 3 CAD complexity scores (SYNTAX, SYNTAX II, and Gensini) were associated with an increased risk of adverse events (HR 1.02-1.06, all P-values ≤0.025). We found no statistically significant interactions between CAD extent, measured as single-vessel or multivessel CAD, SYNTAX score ≤9 or >9, SYNTAX II score ≤24 or >24, Gensini score ≤32 or >32, and treatment effect of anakinra on hsCRP-AUC or the composite clinical endpoint (all P - values for interaction >0.05). In conclusion, among patients with STEMI, IL-1 blockade with anakinra significantly attenuated the acute inflammatory response and reduced the risk of HF-related events regardless of the spectrum of CAD complexity.
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