Plasma fibronectin level and its relationships with lipids, lipoproteins and C-reactive protein in patients with dyslipidaemia during lipid-lowering therapy.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine plasma fibronectin level and its relationships with plasma lipids, lipoproteins and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with dyslipidaemia during lipid-lowering therapy.

Methods: Plasma levels of fibronectin, CRP, fibrinogen, lipids and lipoproteins in 38 patients with dyslipidaemia were determined before and after lipid-lowering therapy by using atorvastatin, 10 mg/day.

Results: After lipid-lowering therapy, serum levels of fibronectin and CRP were found to be significantly decreased by 30.4% and 43.6%, respectively, while fibrinogen levels were increased 11.7% in patients with dyslipidaemia. Before the treatment, fibronectin was found to be positively correlated with CRP and total cholesterol (r=0.38, p<0.05 and r=0.33, p<0.05, respectively) and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (r=-0.42, p<0.01) in patients with dyslipidaemia. High fibronectin levels (0.57 +/- 0.17 g/l) were found in patients with HDL-C below 35 mg/dl (0.57 +/- 0.09 g/l), compared to patients with HDL-C above 35 mg/dl (0.45 +/- 0.11 g/l). During the lipid-lowering therapy, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride and apo B levels were reduced while HDL-C and apo AI levels were increased.

Conclusions: It was found that plasma fibronectin and CRP levels were decreased by lipid lowering therapy. Plasma fibronectin levels were associated with lipids, lipoproteins, CRP levels before treatment and these relationships disappeared after treatment. Consequently, it was suggested that reduction of plasma fibronectin levels, together with lipids and loss of its relationship with CRP, may play a role on the antiatherogenic effects of lipid-lowering therapy.