NCT06024096

Systems Biological Assessment of Statin Effect on Vaccine Responses

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 63 (actual)
• Sponsor: Emory University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study is being done to answer the question: Does the use of statin lipid-lowering medication change the effect of influenza vaccine? The research team will use the knowledge gained from answering this question to understand how this medication affects long-lasting immune responses to vaccines. The researchers will study the immune response to the influenza vaccine in the blood (where antibodies are). The team will also look at how statin therapy affects the bacteria that live in the gut by collecting stool samples. To be in this research, participants must be adults willing to receive vaccines.

Detailed description

Statins are widely used for their lipid-lowering and cardiovascular protective effects. Additional research has shown that statins can be anti-inflammatory and play a part in modulating the immune system. These effects are called into action in events such as pneumonia, influenza infection, and sepsis. This study will include a screening visit, a statin therapy initiation visit (if the participant is in the statin therapy group), a vaccination visit, and a series of follow-up visits. The statin medication will be dispensed by the study staff with clear instructions on how to take the medication for two months (one month prior to vaccination, and one month after vaccination). Other study procedures include a collection of medical history and medications taken, a urine pregnancy test for participants who are biologically able to become pregnant, a recording of vital signs, and a collection of any adverse events that the participant experiences during their participation in the study. The stool will be collected in one screening visit, at the vaccination visit, and one follow-up visit. Safety tests to evaluate muscle health and liver function will be obtained as well at screening and for participants selected to receive the statin therapy, at two follow-up visits. Memory Aid will be completed by the participant after vaccination. The blood and stool samples collected during this study will be stored and tested to evaluate how the immune system responds to statin therapy and vaccination over time. The remaining unused samples will be stored for use in future research. This research will help advance the knowledge that researchers have on how the immune system reacts to a vaccine if previously exposed to a statin therapy regimen. This will, in turn, enable us to identify the factors that help predict the extent of durability of protection gained from a specific vaccine. This may impact the way future vaccines are developed to provide long-lasting immunity against infections.

Conditions

• Vaccine Response

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Atorvastatin	Atorvastatin is a lipid-lowering agent of the statin family that functions by blocking a rate-limiting enzyme, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase, in lipid metabolism. This agent is commonly used for primary and secondary prevention of dyslipidemia. Participants will be asked to take Atorvastatin 80 mg daily at night, for 4 weeks prior to the vaccination, and continue the statin therapy for 4 weeks after vaccination. The 80mg dose of atorvastatin allows for evaluation of the immunologic effects of statin medication with a short duration of therapy prior to vaccination.
BIOLOGICAL	Quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine	The FDA-approved quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine contains four distinct strains: two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses. The approved seasonal QIV will be purchased from the manufacturer to be given for each season of influenza.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-09-20
• Primary completion: 2024-12-16
• Completion: 2024-12-16
• First posted: 2023-09-05
• Last updated: 2026-01-14
• Results posted: 2026-01-14

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated drug study