title: Plasma oxysterol level in patients with coronary artery stenosis and its changes in response to the treatment with atorvastatin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Considering the increasing incidence of coronary artery stenosis and its related complications, the importance of its etiology and inconsistent reports we aimed to determine the relationship between oxysterol, serum levels and severity of coronary atherosclerosis and effect of statins onoxysterol.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 85 patients referred to Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran during 2011-2012 withcoronary artery stenosis more than 75%, as determined by angiography, participated in the currentstudy. Their demographic information and history of smoking and taking atorvastatin was carefullyrecorded. Two milliliters of venous blood was obtained from each patient. The serum oxysterol levelof samples was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Statisticalanalysis was performed using SPSS v.19.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty five patients completed the study. Mean age of patients was 64.4 years; 51 (60%)were male; 55 (68%) had acute coronary syndrome and 30 (32%) had chronic stable angina.Mean±SD of plasma level of oxysterol was 24.8±0.2 pmol/ml. The normal range of oxysterol levelwas 13pmol/ml. Mean±SD of plasma oxysterol level in patients under statin therapy was 24.4±2.1pmol/ml. In patients without receiving statins, plasma oxysterol level was 26.38±1.6pmol/ml.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings of the present study indicated significant correlation between serum oxysteroland severity of coronary artery stenosis. It also demonstrated that receiving atorvastatin is associatedwith significant reduction of plasma oxysterol level.
authors.affiliation: PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Sciences, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir-Hamzeh
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Pordal
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. chancellor@iums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Seyed Javad
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hajmiresmail
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Cardiology, Taleghani Hospital, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. Iran. drpiranfar@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Assadpoor-Piranfar
authors.affiliation: PhD, Associate Professor, Head of Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. hedayati@endocrine.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hedayati
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Nutritionist80@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ajami
keywords: Anticholesteremic agents; Atorvastatin; Coronary stenosis; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors