Inflammation and restenosis: is there a link?

Cycle of arterial inflammation. Plaques, particularly unstable ones, produce inflammatory mediators, especially upon rupture. Such rupture may be clinically silent or overt, or may be induced by PCI in a similar fashion. The subsequent release of inflammatory mediators may promote adverse clinical events. Medical and device-based strategies may be useful to help suppress this inflammatory response and thereby break the cycle of inflammation that leads to further plaque activity. PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention; EPD, emboli protection devices; GP IIb/IIIa, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors; DES, drug-eluting stents; −, Decreases.