The effects of 3-month atorvastatin therapy on arterial inflammation, calcification, abdominal adipose tissue and circulating biomarkers
Journal
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Journal Volume
39
Journal Issue
3
Pages
399-407
Date Issued
2012-03
Author(s)
Huang, Chi-Lun
KAI-YUAN TZEN
Chi, Yu-Ao
Huang, Por-Jau
Abstract
Purpose: 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT has the potential to track vascular inflammation and monitor therapeutic response. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between arterial inflammation, calcification and serological biomarkers in subjects with atherosclerosis, and to assess their therapeutic response to 12-week atorvastatin treatment. Methods: Forty-three statin-na?ve subjects with atherosclerosis received atorvastatin (40 mg/day) for 12 weeks and underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT, coronary calcification and abdominal adipose tissue volume measurements. A panel of serological biomarkers was analysed. Arterial inflammation was measured at seven arterial segments and normalized to venous FDG activity to produce target to background ratios (TBR). Thirty-four subjects without cardiovascular disease who repeated PET 1-4 years apart for routine health check-ups were retrospectively evaluated for comparison. Results: The baseline mean TBR values in atherosclerotic patients were positively correlated with age (R=0.36), body mass index (R=0.54), abdominal visceral adipose tissue volume (R=0.65), coronary calcification score (R=0.40), levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (R=0.54), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 (R=0.46) and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) (R=0.67, all p<0.05). The TBR as well as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), E-selectin, MMP-9, monocyte chemotactic protein 1, FABP4 and follistatin values were reduced significantly after the 12-week atorvastatin treatment. The TBR reduction marginally correlated with changes in MMP-9 levels (R=0.56, p=0.05). The control group, whose median age was younger, by comparison had lower hsCRP and arterial TBR than the subjects with atherosclerosis (all p<0.05), and moreover had a slight but insignificant increase in mean TBR at their 2.5±0.8 year follow-up. Conclusion: The medium dose of atorvastatin over a 12-week period resulted in a significant reduction of arterial inflammation as well as various circulating biomarkers. ? Springer-Verlag 2011.
Subjects
18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography; Biomarker; Calcification; Inflammation; Statin
SDGs
Other Subjects
atorvastatin; C reactive protein; endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule 1; fatty acid binding protein 4; fluorodeoxyglucose f 18; follistatin; gelatinase B; low density lipoprotein cholesterol; monocyte chemotactic protein 1; abdominal fat; adult; aged; article; atherosclerosis; body mass; clinical article; controlled study; coronary artery calcification; correlation analysis; disease association; drug effect; female; human; inflammation; intraabdominal fat; male; positron emission tomography; retrospective study; sensitivity analysis; serology; Abdominal Fat; Adult; Aged; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Arteritis; Atherosclerosis; Biological Markers; Calcium; Female; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Heptanoic Acids; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography; Pyrroles; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Calcification
Type
journal article