Forty-four patients with stable angina received atorvastatin therapy (20 mg/day, 10 weeks). Plasma chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1) mRNA levels and their protein concentrations (MCP-1, sICAM-1) were analysed before and after the treatment. Plasma vascular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) concentrations were also analysed.
Atorvastatin lowered plasma mRNA levels (CCL2: ? 31.76 % , p = 0.037; ICAM1: ? 34.09 % , p < 0.001) and MCP-1 protein concentration (? 18.88 % , p = 0.008) but did not lower sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 protein concentrations, and the decreases appeared to be independent from the lowering of LDL-C. The plasma mRNA levels correlated with their protein concentrations following statin treatment only.
Our results significantly strengthen the clinical evidence in support of statin pleiotropy. Furthermore, this unique simultaneous measurement of plasma mRNAs and their protein concentrations offers an advanced non-invasive in vivo assessment of the circulation pathology.