Effects of statin therapy on the production of monocyte pro-inflammatory cytokines, cardiac function, and long-term prognosis in chronic heart failure patients with dyslipidemia.

Background: The effects of statin therapy on the production of monocyte pro-inflammatory cytokines, cardiac function and the long-term prognosis in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients with dyslipidemia remain unclear.

Methods And Results: A total of 146 CHF patients with a mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 26.9 ± 6.6% were divided into 2 groups based on whether or not statins were included in their treatment: a statin group (n=63) and a no statin group (n=83). Only patients with dyslipidemia were treated with statins. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated, and the production of monocyte tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were measured at baseline and after 6 months of treatment, and the data expressed as mean ± SD (pg·ml(-1)·10(-6) PBMCs). The LVEF in the statin group improved, and the monocyte TNF-α and IL-6 production decreased (respectively, P<0.001), but the LVEF and cytokine production remained unchanged in the no statin group. Multivariate Cox hazard analysis showed that statin therapy (hazard ratio, 0.14; 95% confidence interval: 0.02-0.97, P=0.046) was an independent predictor of cardiac events.

Conclusions: Statin therapy attenuates the production of monocyte pro-inflammatory cytokines, and ameliorates the cardiac function and may improve long-term prognosis in CHF patients with dyslipidemia.