- Statins (hypolipaemic or cholesterol lowering drug) (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) as a new dermatologic drug ?
- Potential applications include:
- alopecia areata*
- allergic contact dermatitis
- antifungal
- atopic dermatitis
- chronic idiopathic urticaria
- cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (stimulation of lymphoma cell apoptosis through Fas-L expression) (CTCL)
- cutaneous melanoma (cutaneous apoptosis has been demonstrated in vitro)
- dermatographism
- graft-versus-host disease
- mastocytosis (urticaria pigmentosa)
- psoriasis
- scleroderma (systemic sclerosis)
- systemic lupus erythematosus*
- rheumatoid arthritis*
- xanthelasma
*evidence in humans
- The overall proposed mechanism of action is through:
- modulation of the Th1/Th2 balance
- inhibition of Th17 cell induction
- inhibition of Il-17 production
- inhibition of lymphocyte migration and of angiogenesis
Bibliography
A comparative study of the therapeutic effect of probucol and pravastatin on xanthelasma. Fujita M, Shirai K. J Dermatol. 1996 Sep;23(9):598-602.
Antifungal activity of statins against Aspergillus species. Qiao J, Kontoyiannis DP, Wan Z, Li R, Liu W. Med Mycol. 2007 Nov;45(7):589-93.
Disappearance of eyelid xanthelasma following oral simvastatin (Zocor). Shields CL, Mashayekhi A, Shields JA, Racciato P. Br J Ophthalmol. 2005 May;89(5):639-40. No abstract available.
Statins in skin: research and rediscovery, from psoriasis to sclerosis. Egesi A, Sun G, Khachemoune A, Rashid RM. J Drugs Dermatol. 2010 Aug;9(8):921-7.
Statins stimulate in vitro membrane FasL expression and lymphocyte apoptosis through RhoA/ROCK pathway in murine melanoma cells. Sarrabayrouse G, Synaeve C, Leveque K, Favre G, Tilkin-Mariamé AF.Neoplasia. 2007 Dec;9(12):1078-90.