Long-term results of immunosuppressive oral prednisone after coronary angioplasty in non-diabetic patients with elevated C-reactive protein levels

AIMS: To present the long-term results of prednisone-treated patients enrolled in the IMPRESS studies. Such studies demonstrated the efficacy of a short course of immunosuppression with oral prednisone after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with bare metal stent (BMS) implantation compared to BMS alone at one year. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty-four non-diabetic patients with elevated C-reactive protein after PCI treated with BMS and prednisone, were followed clinically for a minimum of five years. Event-free survival was defined as freedom from death, myocardial infarction, and need for target vessel revascularisation. Event-free survival rate at a mean of 6.5 +/- 1.4 years was significantly better in prednisone-treated patients of the IMPRESS and IMPRESS-2/MVD respectively compared to their original control arms: 87.8 versus 47.6%, relative risk: 7.9; 95%CI: 2.6-24.1, p<0.0001, log-rank=13.06, p=0.0003; and 93 versus 60.5%, relative risk: 8.7; 95%CI: 2.3-32.7, p=0.0004, log-rank=13,18, p=0.0003, respectively. The event-free survival was 54.1% in controls and 90.5% in the prednisone group; relative risk: 8.1; 95%CI: 3.5-18.7, p<0.0001, log-rank= 26.33, p<0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical benefits of oral treatment with prednisone after conventional PCI in non-diabetic patients with evidence of systemic inflammation after stenting are maintained at long-term follow-up, either in patients with single or multivessel coronary artery disease.