Anti-inflammatory effect of atorvastatin in patients with aortic sclerosis or mild aortic stenosis independent of hypercholesterolemia.

The aim of our study was to assess the effect of atorvastatin (20 mg) on inflammatory biomarkers in patients with aortic sclerosis or mild aortic stenosis. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory effect of statin therapy was compared between hypercholesterolemic and non-hypercholesterolemic patients. We enrolled 33 patients with aortic sclerosis or mild aortic stenosis (AS) (18 males and 15 females, mean age 70 ± 8 years). Plasma levels of the following biomarkers were measured: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL-6) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). Atorvastatin (20 mg) was used for four weeks. All three biomarkers of inflammation significantly decreased after atorvastatin: CRP from 4.08 ± 3.72 to 2.97 ± 3.26 μg/ml (p < 0.05), IL-6 from 20.66 ± 20.05 to 13.36 ± 11.21 pg/ml (p < 0.05) and MCP-1 from 271.08 ± 85.72 to 213.24 ± 115.09 pg/ml (p < 0.05). No differences in the levels of these biomarkers were shown in a comparison between 17 patients with hypercholesterolemia and 16 patients without hypercholesterolemia. In patients in the early stages of aortic valve disease (with aortic sclerosis or mild AS), atorvastatin at a dose of 20 mg reduced the biomarkers of inflammation.