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Pre-emptive or early adjuvant simvastatin therapy in elderly patients with infection and sepsis
Abstract Background The incidence, severity, morbidity, and mortality associated with sepsis increases with age, and statin treatment improves outcomes during infection. We characterised the effect of age and acute infection on key neutrophil functions, assessed whether physiologically relevant dose...
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| Published in: | The Lancet (British edition) 2014-02, Vol.383, p.S79-S79 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects: | |
| Citations: | Items that cite this one |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Abstract Background The incidence, severity, morbidity, and mortality associated with sepsis increases with age, and statin treatment improves outcomes during infection. We characterised the effect of age and acute infection on key neutrophil functions, assessed whether physiologically relevant doses of simvastatin altered neutrophil functions, and, if benefits were seen, when statins could be used during septic infection. Methods Neutrophils extracted from the whole blood of healthy volunteers and patients with a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), pneumonia, or sepsis were assessed for migratory accuracy, phagocytosis, and production of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) before and after in-vitro treatment with simvastatin. In addition, neutrophil function was assessed in healthy elderly volunteers, who were receiving simvastatin (80 mg/day for 2 weeks) or placebo as part of a crossover, double-blind, randomised controlled trial. Here we present data for neutrophil migration. Findings Neutrophils from healthy volunteers (n=70, aged 21–94 years) showed preserved chemokinesis (random movement) but reduced chemotaxis (directed migration) ( r2 =−0·48, p |
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| ISSN: | 0140-6736 1474-547X |
| DOI: | 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60342-1 |