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BACKGROUND: Lipid-lowering agents are known to reduce long-term mortality in patients with stable angina or multiple risk factors. However, the effects of lipid-lowering treatment on inflammatory process during and immediately after the acute phase of unstable angina remain unclear. In this study we assessed the effects of low-dose atorvastatin treatment, on inflammatory process in patients admitted for unstable angina with low cholesterol level. METHODS: Forty-seven normocholesterolemic patients with unstable angina were randomized into two groups, and received atorvastatin 10 mg/day (n = 24) or no statin (n = 23) for 6 weeks. Circulating levels of inteleukin 6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM-1) were measured by their admission, and at the 1st and 6th week of the study. RESULTS: Serum levels of MCP-1 and sVCAM-1 were significantly increased in the control group (p < 0.05) while remained unaffected in the atorvastatin-treated group six weeks after admission. However, IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels were similarly decreased in both atorvastatin-treated and control groups. CONCLUSION: Low-dose atorvastatin treatment modifies inflammatory process in patients with unstable angina and low cholesterol level, an effect seen at 6 weeks but not 1 week after admission.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.ijcard.2005.05.055

Type

Journal article

Journal

Int J Cardiol

Publication Date

28/04/2006

Volume

109

Pages

48 - 52

Keywords

Angina, Unstable, Anticholesteremic Agents, Atorvastatin, Chemokine CCL2, Cholesterol, Female, Heptanoic Acids, Humans, Inflammation, Interleukin-6, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Pyrroles, Time Factors, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1