title: Short-term atorvastatin treatment enhances specific antibody production following tetanus toxoid vaccination in healthy volunteers.
abstract: Statins possess anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties beyond their cholesterol-lowering effects. To determine whether short-term atorvastatin treatment affects the acute phase and humoral immune responses to tetanus toxoid (TT) in normal healthy volunteers, we conducted a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial. Twenty healthy volunteers were assigned a 10-day treatment with atorvastatin (40 mg) or placebo. All volunteers received a TT booster on the fifth day. Subjects in the atorvastatin group had a significant reduction in total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (both p<0.001). Unexpectedly, the production of anti-TT antibodies (predominately IgG1) was three-fold higher in the atorvastatin group 15 days post-vaccination (2306 +/- 468 versus 713+/-21 units, p = 0.008). Atorvastatin also suppressed the post-vaccination rise in platelet and lymphocyte counts (both p<0.05). Acute phase parameters did not change significantly in either group. This study illustrates a novel immunomodulatory effect of atorvastatin raising the possibility of using HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors to enhance humoral responses to vaccination.
authors.affiliation: General Clinical Research Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
authors.forename: Pui Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Philip O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Scumpia
authors.forename: Joanne A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Byars
authors.forename: Kindra M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Haoyang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Jonathan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shuster
authors.forename: Douglas W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Theriaque
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.forename: Westley H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Brantly
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D003017:Clostridium tetani / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D016207:Cytokines; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D011758:Pyrroles; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D000069059:Atorvastatin