Low doses (max. 20 mg) of statins (rosuvastatin and atorvastatin) did not significantly change plasma concentrations of nuclear or mitochondrial cell-free DNA or muscle-specific microRNAs in adults on primary prevention.
Does low-dose statin therapy affect plasma concentrations of cfDNA or muscle-specific miRNA in primary prevention patients?
Low-dose statin therapy does not significantly alter plasma concentrations of cfDNA or muscle-specific miRNAs, suggesting these biomarkers may not be useful for monitoring routine statin use.
Effect estimate: No significant change in all markers (P-values ranged 0.27–0.93)
p-value: p=0.27-0.93
Statins are the most commonly prescribed lipid-lowering drugs. Around 10 % of statin users develop one of statin-associated muscle syndromes (SAMS), ranging from mild myalgia to severe life-threatening rhabdomyolysis. So far, no reliable marker of SAMS has been identified. Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA, of nuclear or mitochondrial origin) and microRNA (miRNA) are among the potential molecules that could reflect muscle changes induced by statins. Two groups of statin-treated subjects were included into our study. In an intensively screened branch, 15 males on 10 mg of rosuvastatin provided two samples before the treatment initiation, three subsequent at weeks 4, 8 and 12 on statin treatment, and one after four weeks of the wash-out period. The second branch included 29 subjects, with samples collected before the treatment and after 5–6 and 10–12 months of treatment. Plasma cfDNA of nuclear or mitochondrial origin and miRNAs 133a-3p, 23a-5p and 1-3p were analysed using qPCR. Plasma concentrations of cfnDNA, cfmtDNA or miRNAs did not change significantly during the statin treatment (all P values between 0.27–0.93). The release of cfDNA and miRNA is probably not significantly affected by low-dose statin therapy.
Wang et al. (Wed,) conducted a other in Caucasian adults aged 31-74 years on low-dose statin therapy (rosuvastatin or atorvastatin) for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease without diabetes or additional treatment (n=44). Rosuvastatin or atorvastatin vs. Baseline pre-treatment levels was evaluated on Change in plasma concentrations of nuclear cell-free DNA (cfnDNA), mitochondrial cell-free DNA (cfmtDNA), and muscle-specific microRNAs (miR-1-3p, miR-23a-5p, miR-133a-3p) (No significant change in all markers (P-values ranged 0.27–0.93), p=0.27-0.93). Low doses (max. 20 mg) of statins (rosuvastatin and atorvastatin) did not significantly change plasma concentrations of nuclear or mitochondrial cell-free DNA or muscle-specific microRNAs in adults on primary prevention.