Effects of atorvastatin on secret inflammatory cytokine in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from essential hypertension patients

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of atorvastatin on secret inflammatory cytokine-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6( IL-6) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) from essential hypertension (EH) patients. METHODS: Forty male patients with EH were divided randomly into two groups: atorvastatin therapeutic group (antihyper-tensive therapy + atorvastatin 10 mg·d^-1 for 6 months) and conventional therapeutic group. The levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in PBMC were measured before and after 3 months. 20 age-and sex-matched healthy subjects served as controls. RESULTS: The TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-β levels of PBMC in EH patients were significantly higher than those of normal controls(P <0.01). TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β levels of PBMC after treatment were significantly lower than before in atorvastatin therapeutic group (P <0.05, P <0.01). There were not significant differences between before and after treatment in conventional therapeutic group (P >0.05). CONCLUSION: The activated PBMC may be involved in the pathogenesis of EH.