BACKGROUND: According to the literature, the stent thrombosis and restenosisrate after coronary angioplasty (PTCA) can be reduced by using stents covered with biologically activesubstances. The aim of our study was to investigate clinical outcomes of PTCA alone, conventional stainlesssteel stents, and special Tenax stents covered by amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC: H). Material/Methods:The study involved a retrospective cohort of 300 patients with coronary artery disease who underwentinterventional treatment from 1998 to 2000. One hundred patients received a Tenax stent (BIOTRONIK, Germany)covered by a-SiC: H. For every patient who received a Tenax stent, one patient with non-Tenax stentingand one patient with PTCA without stenting were randomly assigned. RESULTS: In the Tenax group, 1% ofthe patients had an early coronary event due to subacute stent thrombosis, as compared to 2% in the non-Tenaxgroup and 3% in the PTCA group. At 6-month follow-up, the difference in the frequency of major adversecardiac events was more express between the PTCA group and both groups of patients with stents (32% vs.20%; p=0.053; 32% vs. 14%; p=0.002) in comparison with the 30-day and 3-month results. In the non-Tenaxstenting group more events were detected than in the Tenax group (20% vs. 14%; p=0.259), but the differencewas not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results strongly suggest the protective qualitiesof a-SiC: H stents in reducing early and late coronary events. It can be speculated that Tenax stentsattenuate the progression of endothelial growth at the site of intervention.

Keywords: Angioplasty, Transluminal, Percutaneous Coronary, Carbon Compounds, Inorganic, Cohort Studies, Coronary Arteriosclerosis, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov, Silicon Compounds, Stents