Anti-inflammatory properties of statins.

Abstract

Increasing clinical and experimental evidence indicates that some beneficial effects of statins, known as efficient therapeutic agents in cardiovascular disease treatment, may result from their ability to modulate vascular and endothelial cell gene expression by mechanisms independent of cholesterol reduction. It has been shown that statins exhibit direct anti-inflammatory properties via inhibition of proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine secretion, as well as through adhesion molecule expression on leukocytes. Another important mechanism by which statins may modulate the immune response is inhibition of interferon gamma-induced expression of class II major histocompatibility complexes. Class II major histocompatibility complex expression is central to immune regulation in T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, indicating a potential beneficial role of statins in these pathologies. Indeed, promising new preclinical data indicate that statins might be useful in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.