Statin Treatment Is Associated with Reduction in Serum Levels of Receptor Activator of NF-κB Ligand and Neutrophil Activation in Patients with Severe Carotid Stenosis
Table 5
Parameters of intraplaque vulnerability.
Characteristics
Statin ()
No statin ()
-value
Upstream portion
% of lipid
4.63 (1.84–8.63)
4.36 (3.17–5.54)
0.6524
% of total collagen
41.24 (18.91–52.70)
30.43 (21.25–43.09)
0.6786
% of collagen I
8.97 (4.27–15.98)
6.42 (4.71–10.04)
0.4385
% of collagen III
21.79 (15.32–37.75)
20.33 (16.67–31.94)
0.9569
% of smooth muscle cell-rich area
8.85 (3.75–19.57)
8.00 (3.22–14.48)
0.6013
% of macrophage-rich area
2.96 (0.88–9.06)
2.08 (0.27–6.69)
0.4823
Neutrophils/mm2
0.75 (0.52–1.32)
0.81 (0.30–12.47)
0.6786
% of MMP*-9
0.71 (0.33–1.36)
0.39 (0.21–7.19)
0.6524
RANK† mRNA, fold increase
0.49 (0.33–1.15)
0.81 (0.31–1.74)
0.5725
RANKL‡ mRNA, fold increase
0.78 (0.30–1.24)
0.61 (0.32–0.98)
0.8859
OP mRNA, fold increase
0.84 (0.57–1.47)
0.83 (0.50–1.17)
0.7944
% of OPG
2.71 (1.77–6.06)
0.50 (0.10–2.34)
0.0150
Downstream portion
% of lipid
4.39 (2.83–8.69)
4.94 (2.13–6.63)
0.4884
% of total collagen
18.45 (2.07–45.87)
5.06 (0.50–10.28)
0.0289
% of collagen I
5.56 (0.67–20.74)
0.67 (0.11–3.37)
0.0345
% of collagen III
10.61 (2.15–25.11)
1.98 (0.70–8.57)
0.0728
% of smooth muscle cell-rich area
3.87 (1.50–5.15)
3.59 (2.42–4.30)
0.8173
% of macrophage-rich area
1.97 (1.02–8.29)
9.00 (2.24–11.70)
0.1060
Neutrophils/mm2
0.26 (0.15–0.93)
3.77 (1.20–8.16)
0.0001
% of MMP-9
4.05 (0.68–12.30)
10.12 (3.86–13.81)
0.0574
RANK mRNA, fold increase
0.99 (0.48–2.77)
0.62 (0.38–2.43)
0.4601
RANKL mRNA, fold increase
0.84 (0.45–1.25)
0.59 (0.17–1.60)
0.5165
OPG mRNA, fold increase
1.38 (1.06–1.71)
1.06 (0.80–1.60)
0.2117
% of OPG
0.27 (0.01–0.96)
0.28 (0.02–0.67)
0.7746
Data are expressed as median (interquartile range (IQR)).
*MMP: matrix metalloproteinase. †RANK: receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB. ‡RANKL: receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand. OPG: osteoprotegerin.
