Short-term treatment with Atorvastatin selectively decreases Lymphocyte count

Abstract

Statins are a chemically related group used as lipid-lowering agents, studies confirmed that statins have additional pleiotropic, cholesterol independent, effects mediated by inhibition of isoprenoid synthesis with subsequent inhibition of the downstream signaling molecules like Rho, Rac, and Ras. However, different statin members might have a distinctive effect on the immune system; thereby having different peripheral and cardiovascular actions, such extra-hepatic effects impose the preferences of one statin over another. The present study aimed to identify the role of the short-term utilization of atorvastatin on leukocyte concentration as a representative in vivo marker for immunomodulation. Two widely used statin agents were included in the study- the lipophilic (atorvastatin) versus the hydrophilic (rosuvastatin) for comparison. Blood samples were withdrawn from the two statin groups, before and after therapy, and an automated differential white blood cell count was performed to determine the difference between the studied samples. The results showed that short-term use of atorvastatin, but not rosuvastatin, was associated with a selective reduction of lymphocyte count (p<0.0001). The study concluded that lymphocyte levels were reduced significantly after short-term use of atorvastatin; an effect which might need to be considered in certain immunological disease associated with cardiac ones.