The influence of treatment of hypercholesterolemic patients with simvastatin on plasma chemotactic activity and adherence of neutrophils

Background: there is some evidence to indicate that statins may affect the function of immune and inflammatory cells. This study investigates the influence of short term treatment with simvastatin on plasma chemotactic activity and adherence of polymorphonuclear neutrophils in hypercholesterolemic patients. Methods and results: 20 hypercholesterolemic patients (250–400 mg/dl) were given simvastatin (20 mg daily for 12 weeks). Peripheral blood samples were taken before and after 4 and 12 weeks of the therapy. The percentage of neutrophils adhering to plastic surface coated with albumin was significantly higher when cells were incubated with plasma obtained after 12 weeks of treatment with simvastatin in comparison with plasma collected before the therapy (unstimulated neutrophils: 5.945±0.475% vs. 8.155±0.96%, P=0.0477, stimulated neutrophils: 39.09±4.540% vs. 29.18±3.702%, P=0.032). There was a significant negative correlation between adherence of stimulated neutrophils and total cholesterol levels ((r)=−0.2796, 95% CI −0.4999 to −0.02526, r2=0.07817, P=0.032). Migration of neutrophils towards plasma obtained after 12 weeks of treatment with simvastatin was significantly higher than towards plasma collected before the therapy (7.038±1.127 vs. 4.505±0 618 P=0.0475). Conclusion: treatment of hypercholesterolemic patients with simvastatin increases the chemotactic activity of plasma and augments the adherence of human neutrophils.