@Article{ecn.2008.0124,
AUTHOR = {Carlos Caorsi, Fernando Pineda, Carlos Munoz},
TITLE = {Pravastatin immunomodulates IL-6 and C-reactive protein, but not IL-1 and TNF-α, in cardio-pulmonary bypass},
JOURNAL = {European Cytokine Network},
VOLUME = {19},
YEAR = {2008},
NUMBER = {2},
PAGES = {99--103},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/ECN/v19n2/65939},
ISSN = {1952-4005},
ABSTRACT = {Background. While statins are increasingly used in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), the anti-inflammatory
effects of individual statins, within the context of various treatment regimes, need further
examination. The present study evaluates the anti-inflammatory effectiveness of the short-term, preoperative and
intensive postoperative use of pravastatin in CPB. Method. Forty three patients undergoing CPB were enrolled in
a randomized, prospective clinical study. One group (n = 21), received pravastatin, the other (n = 22) did not.
Patients in the pravastatin group received one dose of 40 mg per day for nine days, starting 48 hours before CPB,
with an additional dose of 40 mg one hour after surgery. Plasma levels of selected inflammatory mediators were
measured at baseline and tracked systematically. Results. Pravastatin reduced postoperative interleukin-6 (IL-6)
levels significantly at 24 and 48 hours, and at seven days. Mean ± SD values, for treated versus untreated patients
were: at 24 hours, 159.5 ± 58.5 versus 251.2 ± 53.0 pg/mL (p < 0.001); at 48 hours, 81.9 ± 31.5 versus 194.2 ± 56.3
pg/mL (p < 0.001); and at seven days, 16.4 ± 7.2 versus 30.8 ± 12.6 (p < 0.001). C-reactive protein (CRP) decreased
significantly on the seventh postoperative day, when plasma levels were 3.6 ± 1.1 in the treated patients versus
8.2 ± 2.1 mg/dL in the controls (p < 0.001). No changes in plasma IL-1 and TNF-α were found during entire study.
Conclusions. Pravastatin induced a precocious modulation of IL-6 expression and a later reduction of plasma CRP
levels. Pravastatin′s effects on the expression of these pivotal inflammatory mediators strongly support its
well-timed use in CPB.},
DOI = {10.1684/ecn.2008.0124}
}