Effect of atorvastatin on lipoprotein (a) and interleukin-10: a randomized placebo-controlled trial

Aim: This study aimed to determine the effect of atorvastatin therapy on plasma lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] and biomarkers of inflammation in hypercholesterolaemic patients free of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: In this three-month randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 63 hypercholesterolaemic patients were randomly treated with either placebo or atorvastatin (10 or 40 mg/day) for 12 weeks. Lp(a) and biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin [IL]-6 and -10, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha receptors [TNF-Rs]) were measured at study entry, and at four and 12 weeks of follow-up.

Results: At the end of the study, patients allocated to atorvastatin (10 or 40 mg/day) presented with significantly lower Lp(a) levels than those taking placebo (10 [1-41]mg/dL versus 6 [1-38]mg/dL [P = 0.02] and 21 [1-138]mg/dL versus 15 [1-103]mg/dL [P = 0.04], respectively]. In multivariate analyses, the relative changes in Lp(a) were independently related to baseline Lp(a) levels and CRP changes. No significant changes in CRP, IL-6 and TNF-Rs were observed. In contrast, IL-10 (pg/mL) increased significantly in patients taking atorvastatin (2.14 [0.49-43]pg/mL versus 4.54 [0.51-37.5]pg/mL; P = 0.01), and was even more increased with the 40-mg dose than with 10mg.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that 12-week atorvastatin is effective in reducing Lp(a) in dyslipidaemic patients free of CVD. Furthermore, this is also the first evidence that the drug increases IL-10 in a dose-dependent manner.