Anti‐inflammatory effects of atorvastatin on peripheral blood mononuclear cells and synovial fibroblasts in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: Statins, such as atorvastatin (ATV), are 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG‐CoA) reductase inhibitors known to exert lipid‐lowering but also anti‐inflammatory, effects. In this study, we analysed the in vitro effects of ATV on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and fibroblast‐like synoviocytes (FLS) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory joint disease.Methods: PBMCs isolated from 25 RA patients and 20 healthy blood donors were stimulated in vitro with 0.1 µM ATV for 24 h. PBMC cultures were analysed for cell surface markers to characterize T‐cell subtypes (CD4, CD8, CD69, HLA‐DR) by flow cytometry and for T helper cell type 1 (Th1) and type 2 (Th2) cytokines [interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ), interleukin‐4 (IL‐4), IL‐10] in culture supernatants by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, RNA isolated from ATV‐stimulated RA‐FLS pre‐ and post‐ATV stimulation was analysed by microarray and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR).Result...