Decrease in P-selectin levels in patients with hypercholesterolaemia and peripheral arterial occlusive disease after lipid-lowering treatment

At sites of thrombosis and vascular injury, interactions occur among platelets, leucocytes and endothelial cells. Patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) have been shown to have raised total serum cholesterol and serum triglycerides and increased sP-selectin levels when compared with controls. A total of 31 patients with PAOD and hypercholesterolaemia took part in this three-staged study. Soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) levels were significantly lowered after 12 weeks of fluvastatin treatment (157.0 ng/ml versus 113.77 ng/ml, p = 0.01), whereas 12 weeks of placebo treatment had no statistically significant effect on sP-selectin levels (150.0 ng/ml versus 139.4 ng/ml). An unpaired t-test almost reached statistical significance (p = 0.051) when the levels by which sP-selectin fell after 12 weeks of active or placebo treatment were compared. The placebo group was then put onto long-term, active treatment and sP-selectin levels were significantly lowered by fluvastatin when compared to pre-treatment levels (150.0 ng/ml versus 110.0 ng/ml, p = 0.03). By lowering the levels of P-selectin, fluvastatin may not only attenuate atherosclerotic progression but may also decrease the platelet activation associated with PAOD.