Effects of fluvastatin on serum sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 in patients with congestive heart failure

AIM: To observe the effects of short-term treatment of fluvastatin on serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: Ninety seven patients with CHF were randomly divided into control group (conventional treatment group) and test drug group (fluvastatin group). Levels of serum sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and TNF-α were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before treatment and after 2 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Both methods can significantly reduce serum sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and TNF-α level (P<0.05). TNF-α levels of test drug groups reduced more significantly (P<0.05), whereas decreased levels of serum sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 had no significant difference compared with control group. CONCLUSION: On the basis of conventional treatment together with short-term fluvastatin treatment, no further reduction of the levels of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 were demonstrated.