Bo Xu1, Shengxian Tu2, Shubin Qiao1, Xinkai Qu3, Yundai Chen4, Junqing Yang5, Lijun Guo6, Zhongwei Sun1, Zehang Li7, Feng Tian4, Weiyi Fang3, Jiyan Chen5, Wei Li8, Changdong Guan1, Niels R Holm9, William Wijns10, Shengshou Hu11. 1. Fu Wai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China. 2. Biomedical Instrument Institute, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: sxtu@sjtu.edu.cn. 3. Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. 4. Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China. 5. Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou, China. 6. Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China. 7. Biomedical Instrument Institute, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. 8. Medical Research and Biometrics Center, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing, China. 9. Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Denmark. 10. The Lambe Institute for Translational Medicine and Curam, National University of Ireland, Galway, and Saolta University Healthcare Group, Galway, Ireland. 11. Fu Wai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address: shengshouhu@yahoo.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a novel angiography-based method for deriving fractional flow reserve (FFR) without pressure wire or induction of hyperemia. The accuracy of QFR when assessed online in the catheterization laboratory has not been adequately examined to date. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of QFR for the diagnosis of hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis defined by FFR ≤0.80. METHODS: This prospective, multicenter trial enrolled patients who had at least 1 lesion with a diameter stenosis of 30% to 90% and a reference diameter ≥2 mm according to visual estimation. QFR, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA), and wire-based FFR were assessed online in blinded fashion during coronary angiography and re-analyzed offline at an independent core laboratory. The primary endpoint was that QFR would improve the diagnostic accuracy of coronary angiography such that the lower boundary of the 2-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) of this estimate exceeded 75%. RESULTS: Between June and July 2017, a total of 308 patients were consecutively enrolled at 5 centers. Online QFR and FFR results were both obtained in 328 of 332 interrogated vessels. Patient- and vessel-level diagnostic accuracy of QFR was 92.4% (95% CI: 88.9% to 95.1%) and 92.7% (95% CI: 89.3% to 95.3%), respectively, both of which were significantly higher than the pre-specified target value (p < 0.001). Sensitivity and specificity in identifying hemodynamically significant stenosis were significantly higher for QFR than for QCA (sensitivity: 94.6% vs. 62.5%; difference: 32.0% [p < 0.001]; specificity: 91.7% vs. 58.1%; difference: 36.1% [p < 0.001]). Positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio for QFR were 85.5%, 97.1%, 11.4, and 0.06. Offline analysis also revealed that vessel-level QFR had a high diagnostic accuracy of 93.3% (95% CI: 90.0% to 95.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The study met its prespecified primary performance goal for the level of diagnostic accuracy of QFR in identifying hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis. (The FAVOR [Functional Diagnostic Accuracy of Quantitative Flow Ratio in Online Assessment of Coronary Stenosis] II China study]; NCT03191708).
BACKGROUND: Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a novel angiography-based method for deriving fractional flow reserve (FFR) without pressure wire or induction of hyperemia. The accuracy of QFR when assessed online in the catheterization laboratory has not been adequately examined to date. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of QFR for the diagnosis of hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis defined by FFR ≤0.80. METHODS: This prospective, multicenter trial enrolled patients who had at least 1 lesion with a diameter stenosis of 30% to 90% and a reference diameter ≥2 mm according to visual estimation. QFR, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA), and wire-based FFR were assessed online in blinded fashion during coronary angiography and re-analyzed offline at an independent core laboratory. The primary endpoint was that QFR would improve the diagnostic accuracy of coronary angiography such that the lower boundary of the 2-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) of this estimate exceeded 75%. RESULTS: Between June and July 2017, a total of 308 patients were consecutively enrolled at 5 centers. Online QFR and FFR results were both obtained in 328 of 332 interrogated vessels. Patient- and vessel-level diagnostic accuracy of QFR was 92.4% (95% CI: 88.9% to 95.1%) and 92.7% (95% CI: 89.3% to 95.3%), respectively, both of which were significantly higher than the pre-specified target value (p < 0.001). Sensitivity and specificity in identifying hemodynamically significant stenosis were significantly higher for QFR than for QCA (sensitivity: 94.6% vs. 62.5%; difference: 32.0% [p < 0.001]; specificity: 91.7% vs. 58.1%; difference: 36.1% [p < 0.001]). Positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio for QFR were 85.5%, 97.1%, 11.4, and 0.06. Offline analysis also revealed that vessel-level QFR had a high diagnostic accuracy of 93.3% (95% CI: 90.0% to 95.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The study met its prespecified primary performance goal for the level of diagnostic accuracy of QFR in identifying hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis. (The FAVOR [Functional Diagnostic Accuracy of Quantitative Flow Ratio in Online Assessment of Coronary Stenosis] II China study]; NCT03191708).