Physiological phenotype of coronary artery disease on short-term angina status in patients with CCS after PCI: perspective from PIONEER IV trial

Background The hemodynamic impact of PCI on major epicardial conductance vessels is the results of a complex interplay between diffuseness and focality of coronary artery atherosclerosis. The pre-procedural identification of these two phenotypes (diffuseness vs. focality) may have important implication on the angina relief after PCI. Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the differential improvement in patient-reported outcomes after PCI in focal and diffuse CAD as defined by the pullback pressure gradient index (PPGi) derived from angiography. Methods The PIONEER IV trial is a prospective, all-comers, multi-center trial, randomizing patients to PCI guided by angiography-derived physiology or usual care, with both arms using the Healing-Targeted Supreme sirolimus-eluting stent. Pre-procedural PPGi derived from angiography was documented. The 7-item Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ-7) was administered at baseline and 30 days after PCI. The median PPG value was used to define focal and diffuse CAD. Residual angina was defined as a SAQ-AF score ≤ 90. Results A total of 203 patients were analyzed, in which 105 patients with focal CAD and 98 diffuse. Focal disease had larger pre-procedure QFR and post-procedure QFR value than patients with diffuse disease (0.71 ± 0.13 vs 0.59 ± 0.19, P < 0.001; 0.96 ± 0.04 vs 0.91 ± 0.08, P < 0.001). The median of PPGi was 0.73 (Figure 1A). In the restricted cubic spline model, the risk of residual angina rises substantially when the pre-procedural PPGi was below 0.74 (Figure 1B). Patients with focal disease who underwent PCI for focal CAD had significantly higher angina frequency score and quality of life score at follow-up than those with diffuse CAD (94.10 ± 11.58 vs 89.80 ± 16.31, P = 0.031; 75.77 ± 26.01 vs 67.17 ± 25.86, P=0.024; Figure 2). After PCI, residual angina was present in 35.0% but was significantly less in those with treated focal CAD (26.7 % vs 43.9 %; P = 0.015; Figure 1C-D). Conclusion Residual angina after PCI was higher in patients with diffuse CAD, whereas patients with focal CAD reported greater improvement in angina and quality of life. Whether pre-procedural physiological phenotyping should alter the therapeutic decision making to perform PCI, and could influence the procedure planning warrants further study.Figure 1Figure 2