title: Effects of early administration of atorvastatin treatment on thrombotic process in normocholesterolemic patients with unstable angina.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Unit, Hippokration Hospital, Athens University Medical School, 69 S. Karagiorga, 16675, Glifada, Athens, Greece. tousouli@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tousoulis
authors.forename: Erini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bosinakou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kotsopoulou
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antoniades
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Katsi
authors.forename: Christodoulos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D001798:Blood Proteins; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D002784:Cholesterol; D000069059:Atorvastatin