Comparison of the effects of pitavastatin versus pravastatin on coronary artery plaque phenotype assessed by tissue characterization using serial virtual histology intravascular ultrasound.

Abstract

Thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) is the most common type of vulnerable plaque and is the precursor of plaque rupture. However, rupture of a TCFA is not the only mechanism underlying thrombus formation or acute coronary syndrome. Although statin therapy changes the composition of coronary artery plaques, the effects of statins, particularly different types of statins, on plaque phenotype have not been fully examined. This study compared the effects of pitavastatin versus pravastatin on coronary artery plaque phenotype assessed by virtual histology (VH) intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in patients with angina pectoris (AP). Coronary atherosclerosis in nonculprit lesions was evaluated using VH-IVUS at baseline and 8 months after statin therapy; analyzable IVUS data were obtained from 83 patients with stable AP (39 patients treated with pitavastatin and 44 with pravastatin) and 36 patients with unstable AP (19 patients treated with pitavastatin and 17 with pravastatin). Pitavastatin had a strong effect on reducing pathologic intimal thickening (PIT), especially in patients with unstable AP, but had no impact on VH-TCFA or fibroatheroma (FA). By contrast, pravastatin had weak effects on reducing PIT, VH-TCFA, or FA. Increases in the number of calcified plaques were observed for both statins. In conclusion, pitavastatin and pravastatin changed coronary artery plaque phenotype as assessed by VH-IVUS in patients with AP. However, the effects of these statins on coronary artery plaque phenotype were different.

• Authors: Tsuyoshi Nozue, Shingo Yamamoto, Shinichi Tohyama, Kazuki Fukui, Shigeo Umezawa, Yuko Onishi, Tomoyuki Kunishima, Akira Sato, Toshihiro Nozato, Shogo Miyake, Youichi Takeyama, Yoshihiro Morino, Takao Yamauchi, Toshiya Muramatsu, Kiyoshi Hibi, Mitsuyasu Terashima, Ichiro Michishita
• Journal: Heart and vessels (Heart Vessels) Vol. 30 Issue 1 Pg. 36-44 (Jan 2015) ISSN: 1615-2573 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 24337500 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Quinolines
• Pravastatin
• pitavastatin

Topics

• Acute Coronary Syndrome (diagnostic imaging, drug therapy)
• Aged
• Coronary Artery Disease (diagnostic imaging, drug therapy)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Necrosis
• Phenotype
• Plaque, Atherosclerotic (diagnostic imaging, drug therapy)
• Pravastatin (therapeutic use)
• Prospective Studies
• Quinolines (therapeutic use)
• Ultrasonography, Interventional