Effect of atorvastatin on lipoprotein (a) and interleukin-10: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to determine the effect of atorvastatin therapy on plasma lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] and biomarkers of inflammation in hypercholesterolaemic patients free of cardiovascular disease.


METHODS
In this three-month randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 63 hypercholesterolaemic patients were randomly treated with either placebo or atorvastatin (10 or 40 mg/day) for 12 weeks. Lp(a) and biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin [IL]-6 and -10, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha receptors [TNF-Rs]) were measured at study entry, and at four and 12 weeks of follow-up.


RESULTS
At the end of the study, patients allocated to atorvastatin (10 or 40 mg/day) presented with significantly lower Lp(a) levels than those taking placebo (10 [1-41]mg/dL versus 6 [1-38]mg/dL [P = 0.02] and 21 [1-138]mg/dL versus 15 [1-103]mg/dL [P = 0.04], respectively]. In multivariate analyses, the relative changes in Lp(a) were independently related to baseline Lp(a) levels and CRP changes. No significant changes in CRP, IL-6 and TNF-Rs were observed. In contrast, IL-10 (pg/mL) increased significantly in patients taking atorvastatin (2.14 [0.49-43]pg/mL versus 4.54 [0.51-37.5]pg/mL; P = 0.01), and was even more increased with the 40-mg dose than with 10mg.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that 12-week atorvastatin is effective in reducing Lp(a) in dyslipidaemic patients free of CVD. Furthermore, this is also the first evidence that the drug increases IL-10 in a dose-dependent manner.
CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Barcelona, Spain.
C
C
Hernández
G
G
Francisco
A
A
Ciudin
P
P
Chacón
B
B
Montoro
G
G
Llaverias
F
F
Blanco-Vaca
R
R
Simó
D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D010919:Placebos; D011758:Pyrroles; D016753:Interleukin-10; D000069059:Atorvastatin