Effects of early administration of atorvastatin treatment on thrombotic process in normocholesterolemic patients with unstable angina.
BACKGROUND
Although statin-treatment during the acute phase of unstable coronary syndromes improve the outcome their effects on thrombosis/fibrinolysis system in normocholesterolemic patients admitted with unstable angina remain obscure. We assessed the effects of short-term atorvastatin treatment on thrombotic/fibrinolysis markers in normocholesterolemic in patients with unstable angina.


METHODS
Forty-five patients with unstable angina were allocated into two groups to receive atorvastatin 10 mg/day (n = 24) or no statin (n = 21) for 6 weeks. Circulating levels of von Willebrand Factor (vWF), factor V (fV), protein C (prC), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and antithrombin III (ATIII) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, by the patients admission and at the 1st and 6th week of the study.


RESULTS
After 1 week of treatment, a significant increase of ATIII (p < 0.05), fV (p < 0.01) and vWF (p < 0.05) was found in the control group, but not in atorvastatin-treated group. Similarly, at 6 weeks after admission, plasma levels of ATIII were still significantly higher than at baseline in controls (p < 0.05), but not in atorvastatin-treated group. Plasma levels of PrtC were significantly increased in both controls (p < 0.01) and atorvastatin-treated patients (p < 0.05) at 1 week, while remained unaffected in atorvastatin-treated group at 6th week. There was no significant difference in the variations of plasma levels of tPA, PrtS and fVII between the two groups at 1 and 6 weeks after admission.


CONCLUSIONS
In normocholesterolemic patients admitted with unstable angina the early administration of atorvastatin, significantly affects von Willebrand factor levels and the expression of liver-derived components of both thrombosis and fibrinolysis system.
Tousoulis
Dimitris
D
Cardiology Unit, Hippokration Hospital, Athens University Medical School, 69 S. Karagiorga, 16675, Glifada, Athens, Greece. tousouli@med.uoa.gr
Bosinakou
Erini
E
Kotsopoulou
Maria
M
Antoniades
Charalambos
C
Katsi
Vasiliki
V
Stefanadis
Christodoulos
C
D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D015415:Biomarkers; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D015415:Biomarkers; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D001798:Blood Proteins; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D002784:Cholesterol; D000069059:Atorvastatin