Macrophage activation in patients with angina undergoing PCI
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Macrophage activation in patients with angina undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention
IRAS ID
251729
Contact name
Vassilios Vassiliou
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Ischaemic heart disease is a condition that affects the blood supply to the heart. The blood vessels supplying blood to the heart (coronary arteries) develop narrowings (stenosis) due to deposition of cholesterol plaques and development of inflammation at the arterial wall. Inflammation is a process similar to what happens when you hit your hand with a hammer (it becomes hot, swollen, red, tender). These narrowings can cause exertional chest pains (angina).
Cardiologists can treat these narrowings via a procedure called angioplasty. Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure performed via the wrist or the groin. A metallic wire is passed down the heart vessels and the narrowings are treated either with a balloon alone or a stent. The balloon is inflated to stretch the blood vessel and restore blood flow. Sometimes it is necessary to use a stent, which is a metallic meshwork that helps keep the artery open.
Balloons and stents have been used to treat narrowings in the heart vessels for years. However, there is a small risk of re-narrowing after the vessel has been treated, which can be associated with adverse events or need further treatment. Contemporary stents and novel balloons are covered with special medications to reduce the risk of re-narrowing. During the treatment of a heart vessel with balloons or stents, minute injuries to the vessel wall trigger inflammation – similar to what led to the development of the narrowings in the first place. Although not fully understood, stents trigger a greater inflammatory response compared to balloons. It is also not known to what degree the inflammation spreads beyond the vessel wall to the heart muscle.
The purpose of our study is to investigate and compare the inflammation being elicited by contemporary stents and novel balloons. We will do that using blood tests and cardiac MRI.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EE/0075
Date of REC Opinion
25 Jul 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion