Objective: To investigate the effects of different doses of fluvastatin on serum levels of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) in the early phase of acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
Methods: Fifty eight patients with ACS were randomly separated into three groups. 20 patients in group A were given routine therapy, 20 patients in group B were given routine therapy with oral fluvastatin 40 mg once daily for 1 week and 18 patients in group C received routine therapy with oral fluvastatin 80 mg once daily for 1 week. 20 patients with stable coronary heart disease served controls. The serum levels of hs-CRP and TNFalpha before and after therapy were measured with immunoturbidimetric assay and ELISA method.
Results: (1) The serum levels of hs-CRP and TNFalpha in the patients with ACS were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). (2) The serum levels of hs-CRP and TNFalpha significantly lowered after one week of therapy in the two fluvastatin treated groups (P < 0.01 in all), especially in the 80 mg fluvastatin group, while no significant difference was observed before and after treatment in the routine therapy group. (3) The serum levels of hs-CRP and TNFalpha had a significant positive correlation in the patients with ACS (r = 0.70, P < 0.01), but no relationship were observed between TC, TG, LDL-C, or HDL-C and hs-CRP or TNFalpha by Pearson correlation analysis.
Conclusions: The serum levels of inflammatory factors including CRP and TNFalpha are increased in patients with ACS and early fluvastatin intervention may decease dose-dependently the serum levels of hs-CRP and TNFalpha. The anti-inflammatory effect of fluvastatin may be beyond that of lipid lowering. Early intensive fluvastatin treatment may yield more significant benefits in the patients with ACS.