OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess if simvastatin has an anti-inflammatory activity in patients with hypercholesterolemia. BACKGROUND: Simvastatin, an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, reduced cardiovascular events in patients with myocardial infarction and hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: Sixteen patients with polygenic hypercholesterolemia were randomly allocated to diet (n = 8) or diet plus 20 mg/day simvastatin (n = 8) for eight weeks. Before and at the end of treatment period, lipid profile and monocyte expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) were measured. RESULTS: At baseline no difference in lipid profile and monocyte expression of TNF and IL-1beta were observed between the two groups. In patients allocated to diet alone, no change in lipid profile and monocyte expression of TNF and IL-1beta was seen. In patients with diet plus simvastatin, significant decreases of total cholesterol (-27%, p<0.02), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (-33%, p<0.02), and monocyte expression of TNF (-49%, p<0.02) and IL-1beta (-35%, p<0.02) were observed. At the end of treatment period, patients treated with simvastatin had lower cholesterol and monocyte TNF and IL-1beta than did patients assigned to diet alone. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that simvastatin possesses anti-inflammatory activity via the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-1beta expressed by monocytes.
Simvastatin inhibits the monocyte expression of proinflammatory cytokines in patients with hypercholesterolemia / Ferro, Domenico; Sandro, Parrotto; Basili, Stefania; Alessandri, Cesare; Violi, Francesco. - In: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY. - ISSN 0735-1097. - 36:2(2000), pp. 427-+. [10.1016/s0735-1097(00)00771-3]
Simvastatin inhibits the monocyte expression of proinflammatory cytokines in patients with hypercholesterolemia
FERRO, Domenico;BASILI, Stefania;ALESSANDRI, Cesare;VIOLI, Francesco
2000
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess if simvastatin has an anti-inflammatory activity in patients with hypercholesterolemia. BACKGROUND: Simvastatin, an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, reduced cardiovascular events in patients with myocardial infarction and hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: Sixteen patients with polygenic hypercholesterolemia were randomly allocated to diet (n = 8) or diet plus 20 mg/day simvastatin (n = 8) for eight weeks. Before and at the end of treatment period, lipid profile and monocyte expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) were measured. RESULTS: At baseline no difference in lipid profile and monocyte expression of TNF and IL-1beta were observed between the two groups. In patients allocated to diet alone, no change in lipid profile and monocyte expression of TNF and IL-1beta was seen. In patients with diet plus simvastatin, significant decreases of total cholesterol (-27%, p<0.02), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (-33%, p<0.02), and monocyte expression of TNF (-49%, p<0.02) and IL-1beta (-35%, p<0.02) were observed. At the end of treatment period, patients treated with simvastatin had lower cholesterol and monocyte TNF and IL-1beta than did patients assigned to diet alone. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that simvastatin possesses anti-inflammatory activity via the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF and IL-1beta expressed by monocytes.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.