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(Stroke. 2005;36:1796.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.

Research Report

Intensive Treatment With Atorvastatin Reduces Inflammation in Mononuclear Cells and Human Atherosclerotic Lesions in One Month

Jose Luis Martín-Ventura, PhD; Luis Miguel Blanco-Colio, PhD; Almudena Gómez-Hernández, PhD; Begoña Muñoz-García, BsC; Melina Vega, MD; Javier Serrano, MD; Luis Ortega, MD; Gonzalo Hernández, MD; José Tuñón, MD Jesús Egido, MD

From the Vascular Research Laboratory (J.L.M.-V., L.M.B.-C., A.G.-H., B.M.-G., J.E.) and Department of Cardiology (J.T.), Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Autónoma University, Madrid, Spain; the Departments of Vascular Surgery (M.V., J.S.) and Pathology (L.O.), Hospital Clínico de San Carlos, Complutense University; and R&D Department (G.H.), Medical Division, Pfizer, Madrid, Spain.

Correspondence to Jesús Egido, MD, Vascular Research Laboratory. Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Avenida Reyes Católicos 2, 28040, Madrid, Spain. E-mail jegido{at}fjd.es

Background and Purpose— To investigate the effect of short-term high-dose atorvastatin on blood and plaque inflammation in patients with carotid stenosis.

Methods— Twenty patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy without previous statin treatment were randomized to receive either atorvastatin 80 mg/d (n=11) or no statins (n=9) for 1 month. We studied inflammatory mediators in plasma (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs; quantitative RT-PCR and EMSA) and plaques (immunohistochemistry and Southwestern histochemistry).

Results— Atorvastatin significantly decreased total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and prostaglandin E₂ plasma levels. PBMCs from treated patients showed impaired NF-B activation and MCP-1 and COX-2 mRNA expression. Carotid atherosclerotic plaques demonstrated a significant reduction in macrophage infiltration, activated NF-B, and COX-2 and MCP-1 expression.

Conclusions— Intensive treatment with atorvastatin decreases inflammatory activity of PBMCs and carotid atherosclerotic plaques in 1 month. These data strongly suggest that the antiinflammatory effect of high doses of statins in humans can be seen very early.

Key Words: atherosclerosis • blood • carotid arteries • inflammation

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