Effects of simvastatin treatment on sICAMI-1 and sE-selectin levels in hypercholesterolemic subjects

This study was performed to determine whether the levels of soluble interce llular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble endothelial molecule-1 (sE -selectin) were elevated in subjects with hypercholesterolemia who presente d with no other risk factors or evidence of atherosclerosis. The effects of administration of an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor on the serum levels of th ese molecules were also examined. Forty hypercholesterolemic subjects (HCh) (19 males and 21 females), without hypertension or cardiovascular disease, received placebo for 4 weeks. The patients were then randomized in two gro ups; 20 of them (simvastatin group) were treated with simvastatin (20 mg/da y) and the other 20 (placebo group) continued placebo administration. After 12 and 24 weeks of either simvastatin or placebo treatment, sICAM-1 and sE -selectin levels were measured. The same parameters were measured in 20 con trol subjects (C) with normal cholesterol levels, matched for sex and age. HCh had sICAM-1 basal values higher than C (352.4 +/- 57.9 ng/ml versus 114 .9 +/- 89.6 ng/ml; P < 0.001); however, sE-selectin basal values were not d ifferent in the two groups. No correlation was observed between HCh sICAM-1 levels and cholesterol levels (total and low-density lipoprotein). Further more, cholesterol-lowering treatment with simvastatin did not significantly diminish sICAM-1 levels. Our findings would support the hypothesis that pa tients with isolated hypercholesterolemia and without clinical atherosclero sis may be silent carriers of arterial subendothelial inflammation, express ed as an increase of sICAM-1. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.