Project description:Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressively fatal disease, and the goal in treatment is to prevent disease progression. The standard of care often involves medications from multiple therapeutic classes, and there has been significant interest both in the choice of agent as well as the timing of initiation. There is a growing body of support for starting multiple medications at the time of diagnosis, or 'upfront ', rather than using sequential addition to prevent clinical deterioration.
Project description:Although multiple gene and protein expression have been extensively profiled in human pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the mechanism for the development and progression of pulmonary hypertension remains elusive. Analysis of the global metabolomic heterogeneity within the pulmonary vascular system leads to a better understanding of disease progression. Using a combination of high-throughput liquid-and-gas-chromatography-based mass spectrometry, we showed unbiased metabolomic profiles of disrupted glycolysis, increased TCA cycle, and fatty acid metabolites with altered oxidation pathways in the severe human PAH lung. The results suggest that PAH has specific metabolic pathways contributing to increased ATP synthesis for the vascular remodeling process in severe pulmonary hypertension. These identified metabolites may serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of severe PAH. By profiling metabolomic alterations of the PAH lung, we reveal new pathogenic mechanisms of PAH in its later stage, which may differ from the earlier stage of PAH, opening an avenue of exploration for therapeutics that target metabolic pathway alterations in the progression of PAH. Global profiles were determined in human lung tissue and compared across 11 normal and 12 severe pulmonary arterial hypertension patients. Using a combination of microarray and high-throughput liquid-and-gas-chromatography-based mass spectrometry, we showed unbiased metabolomic profiles of disrupted glycolysis, increased TCA cycle, and fatty acid metabolites with altered oxidation pathways in the severe human PAH lung.
Project description:Arterial pulmonary hypertension is a rare disease, with little knowledge regarding its etiology, and high mortality. Development of right and later on also left ventricular heart insufficiency, secondary to pulmonary hypertension, is a negative predictive factor. Genetic and molecular processes underlying left heart ventricle remodeling over the course of pulmonary hypertension remain unknown. In particular, there is no knowledge regarding the mechanisms of left heart ventricle atrophy which was completely avoided by researchers until recently.The aim of this study was to assess changes in protein abundance in left and right heart ventricle free wall of rats in monocrotaline model of PAH.
Project description:Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is one of the leading causes of severe pulmonary hypertension (PH). The disease is still underdiagnosed, and the true prevalence is unknown. CTEPH is characterized by intraluminal non-resolving thrombus organization and fibrous stenosis, or complete obliteration of pulmonary arteries, promoted by progressive remodeling of the pulmonary vasculature. One consequence of this is an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and pressure, resulting in PH and progressive right heart failure, leading to death if left untreated. Endovascular disobliteration by pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is the preferred treatment for CTEPH patients. PEA surgery is the only technique that can potentially cure CTEPH disease, especially in patients with fresh or organized thrombi of the proximal branches of pulmonary arteries. However, not all patients are eligible for PEA surgery. Recent research has provided evidence suggesting balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) and targeted medical therapy as additional promising available treatments options for inoperable CTEPH and recurrent/persistent PH after PEA surgery. Studies on BPA have shown it to improve pulmonary hemodynamics, symptoms, exercise capacity and RV function in inoperable CTEPH. Subsequently, BPA has developed into an essential component of the modern era of CTEPH treatment. Large randomized controlled trials have demonstrated varying significant improvements with targeted medical therapy in technically inoperable CTEPH patients. Thus, treatment of CTEPH requires a comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment, including an experienced PEA surgeon, PH specialist, BPA interventionist and CTEPH-trained radiologist at expert centers. In this comprehensive review, we address the latest developments in the fast-evolving field of CTEPH. These include advancements in imaging modalities and developments in operative and interventional techniques, which have widened the range of patients who may benefit from these procedures. The efficacy and safety of targeted medical therapies in CTEPH patients are also discussed. As the treatment options for CTEPH improve, hybrid management involving multiple treatments in the same patient may become a viable option in the near future.
Project description:Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease of the lung blood vessels that results in right heart failure. PAH is thought to occur in about 5% to 10% of patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis, particularly due to S. mansoni. The lung blood vessel injury may result from a combination of embolization of eggs through portocaval shunts into the lungs causing localized Type 2 inflammatory response and vessel remodeling, triggering of autonomous pathology that becomes independent of the antigen, and high cardiac output as seen in portopulmonary hypertension. The condition is likely underdiagnosed as there is little systematic screening, and risk factors for developing PAH are not known. Screening is done by echocardiography, and formal diagnosis requires invasive right heart catheterization. Patients with Schistosoma-associated PAH show reduced functional capacity and can be treated with pulmonary vasodilators, which improves symptoms and may improve survival. There are animal models of this disease that might help in understanding disease pathogenesis and identify novel targets to screen and treatment. Pathogenic mechanisms include Type 2 immunity and activation and signaling in the TGF-β pathway. There are still major uncertainties regarding Schistosoma-associated PAH development, course and treatment.
Project description:Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe and incurable pulmonary vascular disease. One of the primary origins of PAH is pulmonary endothelial dysfunction leading to vasoconstriction, aberrant angiogenesis and smooth muscle cell proliferation, endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, thrombosis and inflammation. Our objective was to study the epigenetic variations in pulmonary endothelial cells (PEC) through a specific pattern of DNA methylation. DNA was extracted from cultured PEC from patients with idiopathic PAH (n=11), heritable PAH (n=10) and controls (n=18). ). DNA methylation was assessed using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 Assay. After normalization, samples and probes were clustered according to their methylation profile. Differential clusters were functionally analysed using bioinformatics tools.
Project description:Comparison of miRNA expression between patients with idiopathic and systemic sclerosis PAH and healthy controls and systemic sclerosis without PAH
Project description:This systematic review of literature and online reports critically appraised incidence and prevalence estimates of pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension to identify the most accurate estimates. Medline® and Embase® databases were searched for articles published between 1 January 2003 and 31 August 2020. Studies were grouped according to whether they were registries (population-based estimates), clinical databases (hospital-based estimates) or claims/administrative databases. Registries were classified into systematic and non-systematic registries, according to whether every national centre participated. Of 7309 publications identified, 5414 were screened after removal of duplicates and 33 were included. Inclusion was based on study type, availability of a clear numerator (diagnosed population) and a population- or hospital-based denominator, or all primary data required to calculate estimates. Only the most recent publication from a database was included. Most studies were based on European data and very few included children. In adults, the range of estimates per million was approximately 20-fold for pulmonary arterial hypertension incidence (1.5-32) and prevalence (12.4-268) and of similar magnitude for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension incidence (0.9-39) and prevalence (14.5-144). Recent (≤5 years) national systematic registry data from centralised healthcare systems provided the following ranges in adult estimates per million: approximately 5.8 for pulmonary arterial hypertension incidence, 47.6-54.7 for pulmonary arterial hypertension prevalence, 3.1-6.0 for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension incidence and 25.8-38.4 for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension prevalence. These estimates were considered the most reliable and consistent for the scientific community to plan for resource allocation and improve detection rates.
Project description:Neutrophil elastase (NE) is implicated in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) but the role of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of PAH is unclear. Here we show that neutrophils from PAH vs. control subjects produce and release increased NE associated with enhanced extracellular trap formation. PAH neutrophils are highly adherent and show decreased migration consistent with increased vinculin, identified on proteomic analysis and previously linked to an antiviral response. This was substantiated by a transcriptomic interferon signature in PAH neutrophils and an increase in human endogenous retrovirus (HERV-K) envelope protein. NE and interferon genes are induced by HERV-K envelope and vinculin is increased by HERV-K dUTPase that is elevated in PAH plasma. Neutrophil exosomes from PAH plasma contain increased NE and HERV-K envelope and induce pulmonary hypertension in mice, that is mitigated by the NE inhibitor and antiviral agent, elafin. Thus elevated HERVs explain pathological neutrophils linked to PAH induction and progression.