Effects of preoperative statin therapy on systemic inflammatory response after cardiac surgery

Organ dysfunction after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is mainly attributed to the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)(1,2). Elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleykin (IL)-6, and IL-8 have been reported (2,3,4,5). In addition to other factors, high levels of these cytokines may contribute to postoperative complications such as SRIS and multiple organ failure. It has been demonstrated that statins can exert anti -inflammatory effects in many different situations in addition to their lipid-lowering action (6). The purpose of this study was to determine if patients receiving statin therapy before cardiac surgery (valvular and coronary surgery) with CPB had anti-inflammatory effects and changes in perioperative morbidity.