Impact of preprocedural high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels on uncovered stent struts: an optical coherence tomography study after drug-eluting stent implantation.

BACKGROUND: There are no sufficient data to evaluate the relationship between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and uncovered stent struts on optical coherence tomography (OCT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. HYPOTHESIS: We evaluated the relationship between the preprocedural level of hs-CRP and incomplete neointimal coverage of DES struts on OCT. METHODS: This study was conducted using 124 eligible patients (132 lesions) treated with sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) or zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES). The subjects were divided into 2 groups based on the preprocedural hs-CRP level: high-CRP (≥3 mg/L; 58 lesions) and normal-CRP (