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Background— Soluble CD40L (sCD40L), a substance that maximally reflects in vivo platelet activation, is increased in patients with hypercholesterolemia. We investigated the relation between sCD40L and platelet CD4OL in hypercholesterolemic patients before and after a short-term treatment with atorvastatin.

Methods and Results— Collagen-induced platelet CD40L and plasma levels of sCD40L and prothrombin fragment F1+2, a marker of thrombin generation, were investigated in 30 hypercholesterolemic patients and 20 healthy subjects. Hypercholesterolemic patients were then randomized to either diet (n=15; group A) or atorvastatin 10 mg/d (group B); the aforementioned variables were measured at baseline and after 3 days of treatment. Compared with referents, hypercholesterolemic patients showed higher values of platelet CD40L (P<0.005), sCD40L (P<0.005), and F1+2 (P<0.003). Platelet CD40L …