Atorvastatin Reduces Proteinuria in Non-Diabetic Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Partly via Lowering Serum Levels of Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)

There is accumulating evidence that advanced glycation end products (AGEs) play a role in the development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We have previously found that atorvastatin treatment significantly reduces serum levels of AGEs in type 2 diabetic patients and subjects with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in a cholesterol lowering-independent manner. In this study, we examined whether atorvastatin could reduce proteinuria partly via reduction of serum levels of AGEs in non-diabetic CKD patients. Ten non-diabetic normotensive stage I or II CKD patients with dyslipidemia were enrolled. Patients were treated with atorvastatin (10 mg/day) for 1 year. All subjects underwent determination of blood chemistries, proteinuria and serum levels of AGEs at baseline and after 1 year. Atorvastatin treatment for 1 year significantly decreased circulating levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and AGEs, while it increased HDL-cholesterol levels. Further, although atorvastatin treatment did not affect estimated glomerular filtration rate, it significantly reduced proteinuria. In univariate analyses, proteinuria levels were correlated with total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol (inversely) and AGEs. Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that AGE level was a sole independent correlate of proteinuria. In this initial examination of the patients in this study, our present study suggests that atorvastatin could decrease proteinuria in non-diabetic CKD patients with dyslipidemia partly via reduction of serum levels of AGEs. Atorvastatin may have AGE-lowering effects in CKD patients as well that could contribute to renoprotective properties of this agent.