[Relationship Between Lipid Lowering and Changes of Hemostasis and Inflammation During Use of Statins in Non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze relationship between changes of lipid levels and parameters of hemostasis and inflammation in a previously reported comparative study of some biological effects of pravastatin and atorvastatin in patients with non ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS).


METHODS
Ninety aspirin and heparin treated patients with NSTEACS were randomized to open pravastatin 40 mg/day (n=31) and atorvastatin 10 (n=30) or 40 mg/day (n=29). At baseline, on days 7 and 14 we measured levels of thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), prothrombin fragments 1+2 (F1+2), D-dimer, von Willebrand factor (vWF) and C-reactive protein (CRP) and assessed platelet aggregation. Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated for mean deltas of all parameters {[(baseline - day 7) + (baseline - day 14)]/2} for all patients. The patients were divided into quartiles according to absolute LDL CH lowering by day 14.


RESULTS
Levels of LDL and total CH significantly decreased in all groups (atorvastatin 40 mg/day >> atorvastatin 10 mg/day > pravastatin). Contrary to pravastatin the use of atorvastatin was associated with increases of F 1+2, TAT, and decrease of vWF. Platelet aggregation decreased only in atorvastatin 40 mg/day group (p<0.05) and CRP decreased in combined atorvastatin group (p<0.05). Most pronounced relationship existed between changes of lipid levels and vWF. Lowering of total and LDL CH correlated positively with decreases of vWF (r=0.25, p=0.018, and r=0.23, p=0.032, respectively) and quartile analysis showed that vWF decreased only in patients with marked LDL CH lowering (quartiles 3, 4). Negative correlation was found between changes of total CH and those of TAT (r=-0.22, p=0.039), and between changes of CRP and HDL CH (r=-0.24, p=0.03). TAT and F 1+2 levels significantly increased in those patients in whom LDL CH level <2.5 mmol/l was achieved by day 14 and tended to decrease in other patients. No relationship was found between changes of lipids and platelet aggregation.


CONCLUSIONS
Rapid (in 14 days) changes of some parameters of hemostasis occurring during treatment of patients with NSTEACS with various statins were related to degree of lipid lowering possibly irrespective of a statin used. Most evident was relationship between changes of lipids and von Willebrand factor.
Pokrovskaia
E V
EV
Research Institute for Physicochemical Medicine, Center of Atherosclerosis; ul. Malaya Pirogovskaya, 1a, 119828 Moscow, Russia.
Gratsianskiĭ
N A
NA
Vaulin
N A
NA
Deev
A D
AD
D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D007249:Inflammation; D008055:Lipids
D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008055:Lipids; D000069059:Atorvastatin