Table S2.
Physiological and inflammatory measures
| Mean (SD) unless otherwise specified n=active treatment: placebo | Active treatment (simvastatin) group
|
Placebo group
|
Mean difference Δ active treatment versus Δ placebo (CI) | P-value (between arm change) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-treatment | Post-treatment | Post–Pre mean Δ | Pre-treatment | Post-treatment | Post-Pre mean Δ | |||
| Circulating MMP-9 (ng/mL) | 53.1 (16.3) | 50.4 (16.8) | −2.9 | 60.4 (17.2) | 56.1 (17.8) | −3.1 | 0.2 (–10.8, 11.2) | 0.97 |
| Circulating hs-CRP (mg/L) n=31:32* | 3.5 (3.1) | 2.9 (3.9) | 0.8 | 3.0 (3.0) | 3.0 (2.9) | 0.2 | 0.5 (–3.2, 4.1) | 0.79 |
| Dominant hand grip strength (kg) n=31:33 | 35.3 (9.2) | 35.3 (8.5) | 0.1 | 32.2 (8.3) | 33.0 (8.4) | 0.9 | −0.8 (–2.6, 0.9) | 0.36 |
| 6MWD (m) n=30:31 | 343 (75) | 339 (84) | −3.6 | 332 (76) | 338 (88) | 5.1 | −8.7 (–23.6, 6.2) | 0.25 |
| FEV1 (L) n=31:33 | 1.59 (0.6) | 1.59 (0.6) | 0.0 | 1.41 (0.5) | 1.43 (0.6) | 0.0 | 0 (–0.07, 0.05) | 0.77 |
| FVC (L) n=31:33 | 3.40 (0.9) | 3.3 (0.9) | −0.1 | 3.06 (1.0) | 3.07 (1.0) | 0.0 | −0.1 (–0.2, 0.02) | 0.09 |
| Sputum neutrophils (%) n=8:12* | 75.2 (1.5) | 75.3 (1.4) | −1.9 | 77.5 (1.3) | 61.4 (2.2) | −6.3 | 4.4 (–12.0, 20.8) | 0.58 |
| Actual sputum neutrophils n=8:12* | 306 (2) | 310 (1) | −2.8 | 314 (1.2) | 246 (2) | −27.8 | 25.0 (–50.1, 101.0) | 0.50 |
| FeNO 50 mL (ppm) n=17:19* | 23.6 (1.9) | 21.8 (1.9) | −2.2 | 14.5 (1.9) | 17.8 (2.1) | 6.1 | −8.2 (–19.1, 2.6) | 0.13 |
| FeNO intercept n=16:19* | 34.4 (2.5) | 36.9 (2.5) | −0.1 | 27.7 (2.1) | 31.1 (2.2) | 4.4 | −4.5 (–25.3, 16.4) | 0.67 |
| FeNO gradient n=16:19* | 8.9 (2.5) | 8.1 (2.5) | −2.0 | 4.8 (2.1) | 5.9 (3.2) | 3.8 | −5.9 (–13.5, 1.7) | 0.13 |
Notes:
*
Geometric mean.
Abbreviations: FEV1, forced expired volume in one second; FVC, forced vital capacity; FeNO, fraction of expired nitric oxide; L, litre; MMP-9, matrix metalloprotease-9; hs-CRP, high sensitivity C-reactive protein; 6MWD, six-minute walking distance; SD, standard deviation; CI, confidence interval.