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Statins and control of MHC2TA gene transcription

Nature Medicine volume 11, pages 365–366 (2005)Cite this article

To the editor:

Inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, known as statins, are potent inhibitors of the mevalonate pathway, which governs biosynthesis of isoprenoids and cholesterol1. Because of their lipid-lowering effects, statins are widely used in medical practice for the treatment of coronary disease. Recently it has been suggested that statins also have immunomodulatory properties and may, in this way, have a role in the regulation of immune responses2,3. Statins reduce interferon (IFN)-γ-induced and constitutive membrane expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules in addition to modulation of proinflammatory cytokine expression and expression of other immune-relevant molecules in different cell types4,5,6,7.

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Figure 1: Simvastatin does not inhibit MHC2TA or HLA-DRA transcription.
Figure 2: Simvastatin does not reduce MHC2TA-PIII, MHC2TA-PIV or HLA-DRA promoter activity.

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Acknowledgements

This research is supported by a grant from the Dutch Multiple Sclerosis Research Foundation (grant 00-407MS)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Molecular Biology, Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Hedwich F Kuipers & Peter J van den Elsen

  2. Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Peter J van den Elsen

Authors
  1. Hedwich F Kuipers
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  2. Peter J van den Elsen
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Kuipers, H., van den Elsen, P. Statins and control of MHC2TA gene transcription. Nat Med 11, 365–366 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0405-365

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