Effect of Intensive Atorvastatin Therapy on Periprocedural PTEN Expression in CD4+T Lymphocytes of Patients with Unstable Angina Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Objectives: To investigate the effects of intensive atorvastatin therapy on PTEN expression by CD4+ T lymphocytes in patients with unstable angina (UA) that received PCI. Methods: All patients with UA were randomly divided into the pretreatment with an intensive atorvastatin (ATV) group (80mg 12h before PCI, with a further 20mg every day after PCI, n = 56) or a conventional (control) group (only 20 mg/day, n = 56). Circulating CD4+ T cells were subsequently obtained prior to PCI and 18–24 h after successful PCI, using a magnetic cell sorting system. Plasma cTnI, CK-MB, hsCRP, IL-10 and TNF-a levels were measured just prior to the PCI and 18–24 h after PCI. PTEN mRNA and protein were determined by Real-time PCR and western blots, respectively. Results: PTEN mRNA and protein were dramatically decreased in ATV group (p < 0.05). In contrast, TNF-α and hsCRP significantly increased following PCI in two groups, with the ATV group being higher than control group (p < 0.05). IL-10 also markedly increased following PCI for the two groups. However, higher values were associated with the ATV group (p < 0.05). Compared to the control group, the incidence of elevated cTnI levels post-PCI was lower in the ATV group( p < 0.05); however, no difference could be found between the two groups regarding the incidence of elevated CK-MB post-PCI (p >0.05). Conclusion: Intensive atorvastatin treatment reduced the post-PCI myocardial inflammatory response in patients with UA, possibly by enhancing PTEN expression in CD4+ T lymphocytes.