Title:Effect of Statins on Serum Levels of TNF-alpha and Interleukin-6 in Patients with
Kidney Disease: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Volume: 30
Issue: 20
Author(s): Bahman Razi*, Saeed Aslani, Danyal Imani, Sajad Salehiyeh, Mahdieh Fasihi, Željko Reiner and Amirhossein Sahebkar*
Affiliation:
- Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Applied Biomedical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Keywords:
Statins, kidney disease, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, inflammation, cardiovascular disease.
Abstract:
Background and Objectives: Some clinical trials have indicated the beneficial effects of statins in
patients with kidney disease, while others have reported no positive effect of statins in these patients. We conducted
this meta-analysis to identify the effects of statins on serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor
Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) in patients with kidney disease.
Designs and Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science
databases to identify all studies published from inception to August, 2022. The major outcome variable
was the Weighted Mean Difference (WMD). Eligible studies were stratified based on target population, intervention
duration, dosage and type of statins, and solubility of statins.
Results: Meta-analysis performed on seven publications (8 studies), including 213 patients with kidney disease
and 188 control individuals, indicated that the concentration of IL-6 was marginally decreased in patients
with kidney disease following statin therapy disease (WMD = -1.15 pg/mL; 95% CI = -2.33 to 0.04, P = 0.05,
I2 = 68.5%). The findings of subgroup analysis based on the dosage of statins showed that neither highintensity
nor moderate/low-intensity statin treatment could significantly influence the serum level of IL-6.
Lipophilic statins were more effective than hydrophilic statins, and they marginally decreased the levels of
IL-6 (WMD = -1.21 pg/mL; 95% CI = -2.43 to 0, P = 0.05, I2 = 55.7%). Meta-analysis of four publications
(five studies) with 157 patients with kidney disease and 132 control subjects showed that statins reduced the
serum levels of TNF-α in patients with kidney disease when compared with control individuals (WMD= -2.66
pg/mL; 95% CI = -4.26 to -1.06, P < 0.001, I2 = 63%).
Conclusion: Statins only marginally decreased the concentration of IL-6 in patients with kidney disease,
but neither high-intensity nor moderate/low-intensity statin treatment could significantly influence the level of
IL-6. However, statins reduced serum levels of TNF-α in patients with kidney disease.
