title: The effect of ezetimibe on adipose tissue hormones in patients with isolated hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Extra-lipid effects of ezetimibe, a new lipid-lowering agent, are so far poorly understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two patients with elevated total and LDL cholesterol levels, statin-intolerant or having contraindications to statin therapy, were treated with ezetimibe (10mg daily) for 90 days. Plasma levels of lipids, apolipoproteins, glucose homeostasis markers, leptin, adiponectin, visfatin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), free fatty acids (FFA) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were examined at the beginning of the study and after 30 and 90 days of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control age-, sex-, and weight-matched healthy subjects, isolated hypercholesterolemic patients exhibited higher plasma levels of leptin, visfatin and TNF-α and lower plasma levels of adiponectin. Their baseline FFA and hsCRP levels were also increased. Ezetimibe decreased circulating levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B-100. The drug significantly reduced plasma levels of visfatin and only tended to reduce plasma levels of leptin, TNF-α, visfatin, FFA and CRP. The effect of ezetimibe on these markers was lipid-independent but stronger in insulin-sensitive than in insulin-resistant patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The obtained results indicate that the presence of isolated hypercholesterolemia is associated with abnormal hormonal function of the adipose tissue. They also show that ezetimibe induces relatively small changes in adipose tissue hormonal function and systemic inflammation in patients with elevated cholesterol levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland. Electronic address: r.krysiak@interia.pl.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krysiak
authors.affiliation: Invasive Cardiology, Electrotherapy and Angiology Centre, Oświęcim, Poland.
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Żmuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Okopień
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D001384:Azetidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D000069438:Ezetimibe; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008055:Lipids; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D001053:Apolipoproteins; D001384:Azetidines; D015415:Biomarkers; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008055:Lipids; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; D000069438:Ezetimibe
keywords: Adiponectin; Ezetimibe; Hypercholesterolemia; Leptin; Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)