title: Effect of Atorvastatin and Pioglitazone on Plasma Levels of Adhesion Molecules in Non-Diabetic Patients With Hypertension or Stable Angina or Both.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It was to study the effect of atorvastatin, pioglitazone and their combination on plasma levels of adhesion molecules in patients with hypertension or stable angina or both.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was an open-label, randomized parallel-group study. Forty-five atorvastatin-naive patients with hypertension or stable angina or both, were randomized to receive either atorvastatin (19 patients; 10 mg OD for 12 weeks) or pioglitazone (26 patients; 30 mg OD for 12 weeks). Another group of 30 patients who were already on atorvastatin were put on add-on pioglitazone therapy (pioglitazone (15 mg OD) + atorvastatin (10 mg OD) for 12 weeks). Plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) levels were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks of therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Atorvastatin monotherapy significantly reduced plasma sICAM-1, but pioglitazone monotherapy did not produce any significant effect. Addition of pioglitazone in patients already receiving atorvastatin also significantly reduced plasma sICAM-1 level. However, there was no significant change in plasma hsCRP and sVCAM-1 levels in any of the groups after 12 weeks of therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is therapeutic advantage of combining pioglitazone and atorvastatin on plasma sICAM-1 levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Vishwanath
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pattan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seth
authors.affiliation: Raritan Bay Medical Center, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861, USA.
authors.forename: Waqas
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jehangir
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Balram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bhargava
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Subir Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Maulik
keywords: Atorvastatin; Pioglitazone; hsCRP; sICAM-1; sVCAM-1