title: Therapy with atorvastatin versus rosuvastatin reduces urinary podocytes, podocyte-associated molecules, and proximal tubule dysfunction biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetic nephropathy is a severe complication of Type 2 diabetes. Tubular lesions may play an important role in its early stages. The aim of our study was to determine if atorvastatin protects the podocytes and the proximal tubule in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 63 patients with Type 2 diabetes completed this 6-months prospective pilot study. They were randomized to continue rosuvastatin therapy (control group) or to be administered an equipotent dose of atorvastatin (intervention group), and were assessed regarding urinary podocytes, podocyte-associated molecules, and biomarkers of proximal tubule dysfunction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients from the intervention group presented a significant reduction in podocyturia (from 7.0 to 4.0 cells/ml, p < .05), urinary nephrin (from 1.7 to 1.3 mg/g, p < .001), urinary vascular endothelial growth factor (from 262.8 to 256.9, p < .01), urinary alpha1-microglobulin (from 10.0 to 8.3 mg/g, p < .01), urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (from 139.5 to 136.3 ng/g, p < .001), and urinary advanced glycation end-products (from 112.6 to 101.3 pg/ml, p < .001). Podocyturia correlated directly with the podocyte damage biomarkers, proximal tubule dysfunction biomarkers, albumin to creatinine ratio, and advanced glycation end-products, and inversely with the glomerular filtration rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with Type 2 diabetes, atorvastatin exerts favorable effects on the kidney. There is a correlation between the evolution of the podocytes and of the proximal tubule biomarkers, supporting the hypothesis that the glomerular changes parallel proximal tubule dysfunction in the early stages of diabetic nephropathy.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vlad
authors.affiliation: b Department of Endocrinology , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vlad
authors.affiliation: c Department of Nephrology , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Ligia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petrica
authors.affiliation: d Department of Public Health Medicine , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Sorin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ursoniu
authors.affiliation: c Department of Nephrology , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Florica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gadalean
authors.affiliation: e Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.affiliation: f Department of Pharmacology , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Daliborca
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vlad
authors.affiliation: f Department of Pharmacology , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dumitrascu
authors.affiliation: c Department of Nephrology , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Gheorghe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gluhovschi
authors.affiliation: c Department of Nephrology , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gluhovschi
authors.affiliation: c Department of Nephrology , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Velciov
authors.affiliation: c Department of Nephrology , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Flaviu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bob
authors.affiliation: g Department of Anatomy , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Petru
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matusz
authors.affiliation: h Department of Nephrology , "Pius Brinzeu", County Emergency Hospital , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Secara
authors.affiliation: h Department of Nephrology , "Pius Brinzeu", County Emergency Hospital , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Anca
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simulescu
authors.affiliation: i Department of Neurology , "Victor Babes" University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Timisoara , Romania.
authors.forename: Dragos Catalin
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Jianu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000150:complications; D000069059:Atorvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007687:Kidney Tubules, Proximal / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D050199:Podocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C113267:nephrin; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D000069059:Atorvastatin
keywords: Atorvastatin; advanced glycation end-products; diabetic nephropathy; proximal tubule biomarkers; urinary podocytes