PB0013 - Protein carbonylation in patients with COPD and effects of statin treatment: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Protein carbonyl (PC) concentration is a marker of oxidative stress, which is known to be increased in in numerous diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Aims: We investigated the effect of statin treatment on PC concentration in patients with COPD.

Methods: We studied 56 patients with stable COPD, who were randomly assigned to receive simvastatin 40 mg/day (n=28) or to remain without statins for three months (n=28). PC, thrombin generation, along with a set of plasma fibrin clot properties, including fibrin polymerization, clot permeability (Ks), compaction, and fibrinolysis were assessed at baseline, after 1 month and after 3 months of therapy. The study was approved by the University Ethical Comittee and patients provided written informed consent.

Results: A median PC concentration in the COPD population was 4.25 (3.37-4.69) nM/mg protein (Fig. 1) and correlated with age (r=0.34, p=0.0093) and C-reactive protein (r=0.43, p=0.0009), but not with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). Elevated PC was inversely associated with maximum clot absorbance (Absmax; r=-0.27, p=0.046) and Ks (r=-0.44, p=0.0008), but not fibrinolysis or thrombin generation. On statin use, PC concentration decreased by 15% after 1 month and by 33% after 3 months (Fig. 1), leading to 28.5% lower levels than in controls (p=0.0003), while PC remained unchanged in the control group. In the statin group, at 3 months PC showed association with FEV1 (r=-0.39, p=0.041), as well as with Ks (r=-0.51, p=0.005) and clot lysis time (r=0.53, p=0.004).

Conclusion(s): This study shows that 3-month simvastatin therapy in COPD patients results in about 30% decrease in PC concentrations associated with improved fibrin clot properties.