Study of the effects of pravastatin in patients with glomerulonephritis associated with hyperlipidemia

Abstract

Pravastatin was administered at a dosage of 10 mg/d for 24 weeks to 21 outpatients with glomerulonephritis with accompanying hyperlipidemia who presented with total serum cholesterol levels of ≥220 mg/dL. As a result, significant reductions in total serum cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and apolipoprotein (apo) B levels were observed at 12 and 24 weeks after drug administration when compared with the levels observed before treatment (total cholesterol, 308.7 ± 52.3 mg/dL vs 250.8 ± 40.8 mg/dL vs 238.4 ± 34.5 mg/dL; LDL-C, 215.0 ± 47.8 mg/dL vs 158.5 ± 38.4 mg/dL vs 153.0 ± 33.5 mg/dL; and apo B, 143.2 ± 28.3 mg/dL vs 111.3 ± 18.0 mg/dL vs 112.1 ± 19.7 mg/dL; P < 0.01, respectively). Apo C-II values were also significantly reduced after 12 weeks (6.3 ± 2.0 mg/dL vs 5.1 ± 1.6 mg/dL; P < 0.05). There were no significant changes in 24-hour urinary protein excretion throughout the course of the study. However, after 24 weeks of drug administration, proteinuria was reduced by at least 25% in 11 of 21 patients (52.4%). There were no significant changes in renal function throughout this study. No problems related to tolerability were observed in any of the patients studied. These findings indicates that pravastatin improves lipid levels in patients with glomerulonephritis and associated hyperlipidemia and exhibits a potential for reducing proteinuria. Therefore, these findings indicate that pravastatin can be clinically useful.