Effect of statin therapy on serum activity of proteinases and cytokines in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm

Bernd Muehling¹, Alexander Oberhuber¹, Hubert Schelzig¹, Gisela Bischoff¹, Nikolaus Marx², Ludger Sunder-Plassmann¹, Karl H Orend¹

¹Department of Thoracic and Vascular surgery; ²Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany

Background and aims: Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are considered to be key enzymes in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), with elevated levels in diseased aorta and in patient sera. Statins seem to exert an inhibitory effect on MMP activity in the aortic wall. No data exist on the effect of statins on serum activity of MMPs and inflammatory cytokines (interleukins, IL).

Methods: The serum activities of MMP2 and MMP9, osteoprotegerin (OPG), and IL6 and IL10 in 63 patients undergoing elective infrarenal aneurysm repair were measured on the day before surgery. Levels were correlated to statin therapy and aneurysm diameter.

Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in the activity of circulating levels of MMP2/9, OPG, and IL6/10 in patients with infrarenal aortic aneurysm. IL6 levels in patients with AAA larger than 6 cm were significantly elevated; differences in serum activities of MMP2/9, OPG, and IL10 were not related to AAA diameter.

Conclusion: Serum activities of MMP2/9, OPG, and IL6/10 are not correlated to statin therapy; IL6 levels are higher in patients with large aneurysms. Hence the effect of statin therapy in the treatment of aneurismal disease remains to be elucidated.

Keywords: biomarkers, aneurismal disease, statin therapy