@article{3126908,
    title = "Serum levels of fetuin-A, osteoprotegerin and osteopontin in patients with coronary artery disease: Effects of statin (HMGCoA-reductase inhibitor) therapy",
    author = "Kadoglou, N.P.E. and Kottas, G. and Lampropoulos, S. and Vitta, I. and Liapis, C.D.",
    journal = "Clinical Drug Investigation",
    year = "2014",
    volume = "34",
    number = "3",
    pages = "165-171",
    issn = "1173-2563",
    doi = "10.1007/s40261-013-0157-y",
    keywords = "acetylsalicylic acid;  alanine aminotransferase;  antidiabetic agent;  antihypertensive agent;  C reactive protein;  cholesterol;  clopidogrel;  creatinine;  fetuin A;  low density lipoprotein;  osteopontin;  osteoprotegerin;  simvastatin;  AHSG protein, human;  biological marker;  fetuin A;  hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor;  osteopontin;  osteoprotegerin;  TNFRSF11B protein, human, abnormally high substrate concentration in blood;  acute kidney failure;  adult;  aged;  alcohol abuse;  angiocardiography;  anthropometric parameters;  anticoagulant therapy;  article;  blood glucose monitoring;  cholesterol blood level;  chronic kidney failure;  controlled study;  coronary artery disease;  coronary artery obstruction;  drug dose titration;  drug effect;  drug targeting;  drug withdrawal;  echocardiograph;  echocardiography;  electrocardiography;  female;  follow up;  human;  hypothyroidism;  immunopathology;  major clinical study;  male;  metabolic disorder;  metabolic parameters;  middle aged;  monotherapy;  myalgia;  myopathy;  osteoporosis;  priority journal;  prospective study;  protein blood level;  protein determination;  smoking cessation;  transient ischemic attack;  transluminal coronary angioplasty;  treatment duration;  weight change;  blood;  coronary artery disease;  metabolism;  treatment outcome, Aged;  alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein;  Biological Markers;  Coronary Artery Disease;  Female;  Follow-Up Studies;  Humans;  Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors;  Male;  Middle Aged;  Osteopontin;  Osteoprotegerin;  Prospective Studies;  Treatment Outcome",
    abstract = "Background and Objectives: Statins (HMGCoA-reductase inhibitors) produce numerous non-lipid related, 'pleiotropic' effects. Our aim was to investigate whether simvastatin treatment affects serum levels of vascular calcification inhibitors, such as fetuin-A, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and osteopontin (OPN), in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: A total of 98 statin-free patients with angiographically proven, newly diagnosed CAD were treated with simvastatin (20-40 mg daily) for 6 months to target a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level <100 mg/dL (the statin group [SG]). Thirty-five age- and sex-matched healthy individuals without any chronic metabolic or cardiovascular disease at baseline served as a healthy control group (HCG). Clinical, anthropometrical and metabolic parameters and serum fetuin-A, OPG, OPN and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels were assayed at baseline in all participants and after 6 months only in SG patients. Results: Compared with HCG subjects at baseline, SG patients exhibited higher serum levels of OPG (7.39 ± 2.94 pmol/L vs 2.47 ± 1.15 pmol/L, p < 0.001), OPN (60.99 ± 17.52 ng/mL vs 45.45 ± 10.26 ng/mL, p = 0.005) and hsCRP (4.66 ± 1.74 mg/L vs 1.58 ± 0.56 mg/L, p < 0.001) as well as lower serum levels of fetuin-A (0.222 ± 0.036 μg/L vs 0.839 ± 0.092 μg/L, p < 0001). Apart from significantly reducing plasma total cholesterol and LDL, simvastatin also reduced serum levels of fetuin-A (by ∼62.6 %), OPG (by ∼47.2 %), OPN (by ∼44.6 %) and hsCRP (by ∼45.3 %) (p < 0.05) in SG patients. In standard multiple regression analysis, the simvastatin-induced reduction in fetuin-A was independently associated with changes in total cholesterol (β = -0.289, p = 0.048) and LDL (β = -0.302, p = 0.032) (R 2 = 0.305, p = 0.040). Conclusion: Patients with CAD showed derangements in serum levels of all vascular calcification inhibitors compared with those in healthy controls. Simvastatin treatment for 6 months significantly decreased serum fetuin-A, OPG and OPN levels, but the clinical relevance of this requires further investigation. © 2013 Springer International Publishing."
}