Effects of pitavastatin on plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in hyperlipidemic patients

Shosaku Nomura¹, Takehito Taniura², Akira Shouzu³, Seitarou Omoto⁴, Norihito Inami⁴, Shinya Fujita¹, Takeshi Tamaki¹, Takashi Yokoi¹, Toshiki Shimizu¹, Tomoki Ito<sup>1

1</sup>First Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan; ²Department of Internal Medicine, Ueda Hospital, Osaka, Japan; ³Department of Internal Medicine, Saiseikai Izuo Hospital, Osaka, Japan; ⁴Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Osaka Japan

Abstract: The effects of statins on two platelet activation markers, plasiminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 and adiponectin, were investigated in 68 patients with hyperlipidemia. The patients were treated with pitavastatin with a dosage of 2 mg daily. The plasma levels of platelet-derived microparticles (PDMP), soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), sP-selectin, PAI-1, and adiponectin were measured at baseline and after 6 months of treatment in both groups. In hyperlipidemic patients, the plasma levels were higher in PDMP, sCD40L, sP-selectin, and PAI-1, and lower in adiponectin, compared to the normolipidemic controls. Plasma PDMP and sCD40L were positively correlated, while plasma adiponectin was negatively correlated with the plasma levels of PAI-1. No significant differences were observed in the plasma levels of PDMP, sCD40L, sP-selectin, and PAI-1 before and after treatment. A significant increase in plasma adiponectin levels was observed after 6 months of treatment with pitavastatin. When the patients treated with pitavastatin were divided into two groups according to the adiponectin response to pitavastatin treatment, significant decreases in plasma PAI-1, PDMP, and sCD40L levels were observed after pitavastatin treatment in the responder group. These findings suggest that PDMP, sCD40L, and PAI-1 may participate in the development of atherothrombosis in patients with hyperlipidemia, and that pitavastatin may exert an adiponectin-dependent anti-atherothrombotic effect in hyperlipidemic patients.

Keywords: hyperlipidemia, PAI-1, pitavastatin, adiponectin, atherothrombosis