title: The Effect of Combined Ezetimibe/Atorvastatin Therapy vs. Atorvastatin Monotherapy on the Erythrocyte Membrane Structure in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Pilot Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Erythrocytes play an important role in atherogenesis. An excessive accumulation of cholesterol in erythrocyte membranes leads to disruption of the erythrocytes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to compare the effect of two different hypolipidemic therapies on the structure of erythrocyte membranes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 18 patients with angiographic confirmed coronary artery disease who, despite at least 6 months of hypolipidemic treatment, had not achieved LDL-C < 70 mg/dL and 18 healthy individuals as the control group. The following parameters were studied: total cholesterol level and erythrocyte membrane fluidity, lipid peroxidation, SH groups in membrane protein and plasma lipids.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a decrease in TC (20%), LDL-C (35%), level of lipid peroxidation (25%) and total cholesterol in erythrocytes (23%), and an increase in HDL-C (8%) and erythrocyte membrane fluidity of subsurface layers (14%) after 6 months of 10 mg atorvastatin + 10 mg ezetimibe therapy, in comparison with healthy controls. In the group treated with 40 mg atorvastatin for 6 months, decreased LDL-C (23%), lipid peroxidation (37%) and membrane cholesterol concentration (18%) was noted, as well as an increase in erythrocyte membrane fluidity in the subsurface layers (12%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the combination therapy and the monotherapy lead to an improvement of erythrocyte membrane structure, whose parameters reached values close to those in the control healthy group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Diseases and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jackowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment Pollution Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pytel
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment Pollution Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koter-Michalak
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Diseases and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olszewska-Banaszczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Diseases and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Legęza
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Diseases and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Marlena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Broncel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069059:Atorvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D000069438:Ezetimibe / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D002784:Cholesterol; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D000069438:Ezetimibe
keywords: coronary artery disease; ezetimibe; membrane fluidity; statins; total cholesterol