Simvastatin decreases concentration of interleukin-2 in hypercholesterolemic patients after treatment for 12 weeks.
Statins, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are drugs with a potent lipid-lowering effect. They are also able to inhibit proliferation of smooth muscle cells, T-lymphocytes, to restore endothelial activity and to inhibit inflammatory responses. These effects have been called the pleiotropic effect of statins. Statins have demonstrated contrast to the inflammatory activity of macrophages. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of simvastatin on serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-2 and TNFalpha in hypercholesterolemic patients.


METHODS
In 58 non-smoking men with total cholesterol (TC) >7.8 mmol/L, LDL-cholesterol>5.5 mmol/L and fasting triglycerides<4.6 mmol/L serum IL-2 and TNFalpha were determined at the beginning of the study, after 3 months diet and after 3 months of simvastatin therapy (20 mg/day). The control group was composed of 10 healthy volunteers with correct lipid values: TC<5.2 mmol/L, LDL-cholesterol <2.3 mmol/L, HDL-cholesterol >1.5 mmol/L and triglycerides<2.3 mmol/L.


RESULTS
There were significant reductions in IL-2 concentration after 3 months diet (p=0.0059) and significant (p=0.0003) decrease of IL-2 after 3 months of simvastatin therapy. Meanwhile we observed a significant decrease of TNFalpha concentration after 3 months diet (p=0.0001) and no significant decrease after 3 months of simvastatin therapy.
Zubelewicz-Szkodzińska
B
B
Department of Internal Medicine, Silesian Medical University, Bytom, Poland. basiazub@poczta.onet.pl
Szkodziński
J
J
Romanowski
W
W
Błazelonis
A
A
Danikiewicz
A
A
Muc-Wierzgoń
M
M
Szkilnik
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002784:Cholesterol; D019821:Simvastatin