Statins as Anti-inflammatory Therapy in HIV disease? — J Infect Dis

J Infect Dis: "The present study has additional limitations. Unfortunately, levels of inflammatory serum proteins, such as C-reactive protein, were not measured. Moreover, the duration of statin exposure was only 4 weeks, so it is not known whether the anti-inflammatory effects observed would be sustained with longer statin exposure.

"Unless other statins have modes of action that are different from those of high-dose atorvastatin, it seems unlikely that other statins will be found to suppress HIV replication. However, the present data suggest that statins merit evaluation over longer periods in HIV-infected adults who are receiving effective antiretroviral therapy but who have persistent T cell activation, given that ongoing inflammation in HIV-infected adults receiving therapy is associated with a greater risk of HIV disease progression and death. A very large study would probably be required to determine whether the potentially positive effects of statin therapy on inflammatory biomarkers will translate into less HIV disease progression and fewer cases of inflammatory non–AIDS-related illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease and end-stage liver disease."