Statin Therapy and COVID-19 Infection

NCT ID: NCT04407273

Last Updated: 2021-03-11

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 2159 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2020-05-14
• Study Completion Date: 2020-12-30

Brief Summary

Considering that simvastatin, and probably statins in general, interfere with SARS-cov-2 cellular uptake and some inflammatory pathways activated by the virus, those patients on statin therapy should be less vulnerable to infection and their clinical course and prognosis should be better than that in individuals not on statin therapy.

Detailed Description

Statins reduce intracellular cholesterol synthesis by interfering with the limiting enzyme HMGCoA reductase. A lower intracellular cholesterol concentration leads to activation of the transcription factor SREBP 2 upregulating LDL receptor synthesis. In general, intracellular cholesterol homeostasis achieves a new physiological equilibrium at lower cholesterol concentrations. Moreover, the effect of cholesterol pathway inhibition has also an effect on farnesyl and geranyl molecules formation influencing protein prenylation leading to changes on inflammation and immunomodulation in vitro.

Changes in intracellular cholesterol alter cell membrane composition, particularly the structures referred to cholesterol rafts that accommodate a huge number of cell surface proteins as receptors. Theoretically, alterations in cholesterol rafts could derange the function of some receptors Some preliminary studies on cell models have suggested that statins could interfere the activity of some membrane viral receptors blunting its entry to cell (Berraondo P et al CIMA nonpublished data). SARS-cov-2 goes into cells through the Angiotensin Converser Enzyme 2 (ACE2) which is located in the surface of several cells including lung cells. It has been suggested that simvastatin could have a role in SARS-cov-2 infection by blocking the virus entry to cell. However, atorvastatin has been shown to increase ACE2 expression in animal models. Moreover, intracellular cholesterol content seems to influence the virus uptake.

Severe SARS-cov-2 infection is mediated by an inflammatory storm resulting in a deep tissue injury, endothelial damage, prothrombotic state and multiorgan failure. As mentioned above, statins also have some potent anti-inflammatory effects as modulating TNF, the NFkB transcription factor or blocking some members of the Tool Like Receptor family as TLR4-9 and its downstream cofactor MYD88. This anti-inflammatory effect has been implicated in a better prognosis of some diseases as HBV or HCV chronic infection, limiting the progression of hepatic damage to chronic liver disease or hepatocarcinoma. The impact of statin use on influenza epidemics has been repetitively assessed but contradictory or non-conclusive results have been obtained. The combination of statins and angiotensin receptor blockers have shown an important protective effect on other epidemics as Ebola, probably to their action on endothelium protection. A protective effect of statins on pulmonary hypertension development in a primate HIV model has also been reported. Although, in general all these pleiotropic effects of statins have been shown in vitro and its clinical impact is not clear, a clinical assay to test the efficacy of simvastatin on SARS-cov-2 is going on. Recently an observational study including more than 8000 patients infected by Sars-Cov-2 showed the protective effect of being on statins or ACE inhibitors. Taken into account its widespread use and putative effects on viral entry, inflammation, immune mechanisms and endothelial function, the use of standard therapies as statins have been postulated to target the host response to new virus pandemics.

Conditions

COVID; Statin; Cardiovascular Diseases

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: CASE_ONLY
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

with statins

Covid-19 infected patients with statins

observational

Intervention Type: DRUG

observational study

without statins

Covid-19 infected patients without statins

observational

Intervention Type: DRUG

observational study

Interventions

observational

observational study

Intervention Type: DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients ≥ 18 years old with a PCR or immunological confirmation of Covid-19 infection, admitted in the hospital for at least 24 hours, will be included.

Exclusion Criteria

• Patients < 18 years old.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Institut Investigacio Sanitaria Pere Virgili

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

LUIS MASANA, MD

Dr

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Lluís Masana, Dr

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Institut Investigacio Sanitaria Pere Virgili

Locations

Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut de Reus

Reus, Tarragona, Spain

Countries

Spain

References

Masana L, Correig E, Rodriguez-Borjabad C, Anoro E, Arroyo JA, Jerico C, Pedragosa A, Miret M, Naf S, Pardo A, Perea V, Perez-Bernalte R, Plana N, Ramirez-Montesinos R, Royuela M, Soler C, Urquizu-Padilla M, Zamora A, Pedro-Botet J. Effect of statin therapy on SARS-CoV-2 infection-related mortality in hospitalized patients. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother. 2022 Feb 16;8(2):157-164. doi: 10.1093/ehjcvp/pvaa128.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 33135047 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

106/2020

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id