Background: Although statin-treatment during the acute phase of unstable
coronary syndromes improve the outcome their effects on
thrombosis/fibrinolysis system in normocholesterolemic patients admitted
with unstable angina remain obscure. We assessed the effects of
short-term atorvastatin treatment on thrombotic/fibrinolysis markers in
normocholesterolemic in patients with unstable angina.
Methods: Forty-five patients with unstable angina were allocated into
two groups to receive atorvastatin 10 mg/day (n=24) or no statin (n =21)
for 6 weeks. Circulating levels of von Willebrand Factor (vWF), factor V
(W), protein C (prC), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and
antithrombin III (ATIII) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent
assay, by the patients admission and at the 1st and 6th week of the
study.
Results: After I week of treatment, a significant increase of ATIII (p <
0.05), fV (p < 0.01) and vWF (p < 0.05) was found in the control group,
but not in atorvastatin-treated group. Similarly, at 6 weeks after
admission, plasma levels of ATIII were still significantly higher than
at baseline in controls (p < 0.05), but not in atorvastatin-treated
group. Plasma levels of PrtC were significantly increased in both
controls (p < 0.01) and atorvastatin-treated patients (p < 0.05) at I
week, while remained unaffected in atorvastatin-treated group at 6th
week. There was no significant difference in the variations of plasma
levels of tPA, PrtS and fVlI between the two groups at 1 and 6 weeks
after admission.
Conclusions: In normocholesterolemic patients admitted with unstable
angina the early administration of atonastatin, significantly affects
von Willebrand factor levels and the expression of liver-derived
components of both thrombosis and fibrinolysis system. (c) 2005 Elsevier
Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved
