Graft-Protective Effects of the HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor Pravastatin After Lung Transplantation— A Propensity Score Analysis With 23 Years of Follow-Up

BACKGROUND: To determine whether the hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor pravastatin has a graft-protective effect, we retrospectively analyzed 502 patients who had undergone lung transplantation in Hannover. METHODS: Propensity scores have been calculated for each patient and compared between two groups. Cox Hazard analyses were performed for different parameters (e.g., basic parameters of patients, underlying diagnoses, different operations, and important organ functions after lung transplantation). Lung function after transplantation was monitored using repeated measurement analyses. Additionally, conditional Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were used to explore the impact of different diagnoses, the severity of bronchiolitis obliterans, the type of transplantation, and different immunosuppressant regimes on patient survival. RESULTS: The results indicate a strong association between the postoperative administration of statins and the improvement of survival, maintenance of graft (lung) function, and slowing of the onset of bronchiolitis obliterans. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a new postoperative therapeutic focus for maintaining graft function.