Postoperative Statin Therapy Attenuates the Intensity of Systemic Inflammation and Increases Fibrinolysis After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Abstract

A total of 25 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were included in the study. Patients received statin (20 mg daily) postoperatively for 2 weeks. All analyses were performed at 2 different time points: preoperatively (group 1) and 2 weeks after operation (group 2). Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) levels, and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) were evaluated. Statin treatment caused a significant reduction in the plasma level of PAI-1 (preop: 15.04 +/- 0.13 ng/mL vs postop: 13.89 +/- 2.14 ng/mL; P < .05) and increased t-PA levels (preop: 109.74 +/- 0.13 vs postop: 231.40 +/- 1.22 ng/mL; P < .001). Plasma TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels did not change with treatment. Statin treatment caused a significant reduction in plasma IL-8 level (279.70 +/- 3.42 ng/mL vs postop: 207.18 +/- 3.63 ng/mL, P < .05), and TFPI (4.87 +/- 2.05 ng/mL vs postop: 6.27 +/- 1.25 ng/mL; P < .05). The results demonstrate that atorvastatin attenuates systemic inflammatory reaction after cardiac surgery.