Pleiotropic properties of statins via angiogenesis modulation in cardiovascular disease

Inhibition of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase by statins is affected by inhibiting the active site of the enzyme in a competitive manner. Statins reduce plasma cholesterol by inhibiting its de novo synthesis. In addition, statins impart ‘pleiotropic’ activities that do not directly relate to their ability to decrease cholesterol. The proangiogenic and antiangiogenic characteristics of statins are among these pleiotropic effects. These angiogenic-modifying properties could offer new therapeutic applications. Statins stimulate or suppress angiogenesis in a biphasic manner. Whereas low doses of statin stimulate angiogenesis, high doses reduce protein prenylation and limit cell development and angiogenesis. In this review, we discuss how statins impact angiogenesis, with a particular focus on angiogenesis in stroke and cardiovascular disease (CVD)

Prevalence of oral lichen planus in HCV infected patients: the effective factors

"nBackground: Hepatitis C is a major cause of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis C infection also has extrahepatic manifestations, including cryoglobulinemia and lichen planus. Lichen planus is a relatively common mucocutaneous disorder, and, due to its chronic pattern and increased incidence of malignancy, diagnosis and treatment of this disease are very important. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of oral lichen planus in HCV-infected patients. "nMethods: In this cross sectional- descriptive study, the prevalence of oral lichen planus was evaluated by means of observation, clinical examination, questionnaire and evaluation of the medical records of 150 patients referred to the hepatitis clinic, gastrointentrology and infectious disease wards of Imam Khomeini Hospital and the Iran Blood Transfusion Organization, Tehran, Iran. We used a sequential method for sampling. Data were analyzed using statistical software (SPSS ver. 11) and the chi-square test. "nResults: From a total 150 patients, 133 were male and 17 female. Six cases (4%) had oral lichen planus. All patients with oral lichen planus were male and the buccal mucosa was the most common site. "nConclusions: According to this study, the prevalence of oral lichen planus in patients afflicted with HCV is higher than in the normal population. We should pay more attention to oral lichen planus as one of the extrahepatic manifestations of hepatitis C