Key result
Pitavastatin is linked to a ~10% reduction in elevated PTX3 levels among hypercholesterolemia patients.
Why the study?
Does pitavastatin 2 mg daily improve plasma pentraxin 3 and arterial stiffness in outpatients with hypercholesterolemia?
Does pitavastatin 2 mg daily improve plasma pentraxin 3 and arterial stiffness in outpatients with hypercholesterolemia?
Absolute Event Rate: 2.59% vs 2.87%
p-value: p=0.034
Pitavastatin reduces plasma PTX3 levels in hypercholesterolemic patients, which correlates with improvements in carotid intima-media thickness, suggesting PTX3 as a marker for active atherosclerotic change.
May support PTX3 as atherosclerosis marker responsive to pitavastatin; leaves open outcome trials.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of pitavastatin on asymptomatic atherosclerosis in patients with hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: Thirty-five outpatients with hypercholesterolemia (61.5+/-12.8 yr) were administered 2 mg oral pitavastatin daily for 6 months. Plasma pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a novel inflammatory marker of atherosclerosis, was measured together with the serum hsCRP and carotid-artery intima-media thickness (IMT). RESULTS: Significant improvement of the LDL-C/HDL-C and log (TG/HDL-C) ratios began to be observed from 1 month after using pitavastatin. Significant correlation of the initial PTX3 value was observed with the initial plaque score (PS) (p=0.038, r=0.246), but not between the hsCRP and plasma PTX3 or PS. When patients were divided into 3 groups based on the initial PTX3 values, a significant decrease of the plasma PTX3 was obtained in the highest PTX3 group alone (p=0.034). The change in the plasma PTX3 value (DeltaPTX3) was significantly correlated with the Delta mean IMT during the study period (p=0.008, r=0.456). CONCLUSION: Pitavastatin significantly reduced the elevated plasma levels of PTX3 in patients with hypercholesterolemia by its pleiotropic effect against atherosclerotic inflammation. This study showed for the first time that the plasma PTX3 might be a useful blood parameter for direct detection of active atherosclerotic change.
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Ohbayashi et al. (2009) studied Hypercholesterolemia (n=35). Pitavastatin vs. Baseline was evaluated on Plasma pentraxin 3 (PTX3) levels in the highest baseline PTX3 group (p=0.034). Pitavastatin significantly reduced elevated plasma levels of PTX3 in patients with hypercholesterolemia and high baseline PTX3 (p=0.034).