Feasibility of photopheresis to reduce the occurrence of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty: A clinical pilot study

Background: Photopheresis was evaluated as a means of preventing restenosis on the basis of immune modulation. Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial analyzing clinical restenosis at 6 months after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Seventy-eight patients with single-vessel angioplasty were randomly assigned to a control group of 41 patients and a treatment group of 37 patients. At 6 months, there were 72 evaluable patients: 39 control patients and 33 treated. Twenty-nine control patients received balloon PTCA only and 10 patients received stents. Twenty treated patients received PTCA only and 13 patients received stents. Baseline clinical characteristics of both groups were similar. The treatment group received photopheresis for a total of 5 treatments. Primary end points were death from any cause, myocardial infarction, ischemia, and repeat revascularization procedures. Results: By intention-to-treat analysis, Clinical restenosis occurred in 27% of control patients versus 8% of treated patients (P = .040, relative risk = 0.30). Conclusions: Photopheresis therapy in patients undergoing balloon PTCA with and without stent deployment has been shown to be effective in reducing restenosis. The use of photopheresis in such patients merits further investigation.