title: Anti-inflammatory effect of atorvastatin in patients with aortic sclerosis or mild aortic stenosis independent of hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: The aim of our study was to assess the effect of atorvastatin (20 mg) on inflammatory biomarkers in patients with aortic sclerosis or mild aortic stenosis. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory effect of statin therapy was compared between hypercholesterolemic and non-hypercholesterolemic patients. We enrolled 33 patients with aortic sclerosis or mild aortic stenosis (AS) (18 males and 15 females, mean age 70 ± 8 years). Plasma levels of the following biomarkers were measured: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL-6) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). Atorvastatin (20 mg) was used for four weeks. All three biomarkers of inflammation significantly decreased after atorvastatin: CRP from 4.08 ± 3.72 to 2.97 ± 3.26 μg/ml (p < 0.05), IL-6 from 20.66 ± 20.05 to 13.36 ± 11.21 pg/ml (p < 0.05) and MCP-1 from 271.08 ± 85.72 to 213.24 ± 115.09 pg/ml (p < 0.05). No differences in the levels of these biomarkers were shown in a comparison between 17 patients with hypercholesterolemia and 16 patients without hypercholesterolemia. In patients in the early stages of aortic valve disease (with aortic sclerosis or mild AS), atorvastatin at a dose of 20 mg reduced the biomarkers of inflammation.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Cardiology, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Kopernika 17, PL 31-501 Kraków, Poland. dimitrow@mp.pl
authors.forename: Pawel P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Dimitrow
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jawień
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012598:Sclerosis
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D015415:Biomarkers; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011758:Pyrroles; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000069059:Atorvastatin