Association between single nucleotide polymorphism SLCO1B1 gene and simvastatin pleiotropic effects measured through...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Pharmacogenomics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Atherosclerosis involves arterial inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.
• Simvastatin, a cholesterol drug, has beneficial endothelial effects.
• Genetic variations may influence simvastatin response, affecting its pleiotropic actions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) c.521T>C and simvastatin's pleiotropic effects.
• To evaluate the impact of SNP c.521T>C on endothelial function, assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD).

Main Methods:

• A multicentre cross-sectional study included 71 hypercholesterolemia patients on simvastatin for at least 3 months.
• SNP c.521T>C was identified using real-time polymerase chain reaction.
• Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was measured via brachial artery ultrasonography.

Main Results:

• The c.521T>C SNP (TC genotype) was present in 9.9% of patients and showed no significant association with FMD (p=0.973).
• Logistic regression revealed that longer simvastatin treatment duration correlated with increased FMD (Adj. OR=2.424, p=0.025).
• Simvastatin treatment duration was also linked to reduced systolic blood pressure (Adj. OR=0.92, p=0.001).

Conclusions:

• No association was found between the c.521T>C SNP and flow-mediated dilation (FMD).
• The duration of simvastatin therapy demonstrated a significant association with endothelial function (FMD).
• Systolic blood pressure was also found to be associated with the duration of simvastatin treatment.