How does inflammation contribute to pulmonary hypertension?. Issue 1 (25th January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kumar, Rahul; Graham, Brian
• Is Part Of: European respiratory journal. Volume 51:Issue 1(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-01-25
• Subjects: Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Periodicals; 616.2
• DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02403-2017
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0903-1936

Abstract

Pathogenic drivers of the pulmonary vascular disease that results in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are currently unclear, but there are many reasons to suspect that inflammation is a major contributor. Clinically, PAH is a complication of multiple autoimmune diseases including scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematosus, suggesting dysregulated immunity can trigger the vascular disease [1–3]. PAH can also complicate several infectious diseases, including HIV and schistosomiasis, suggesting there could be off-target effects of immune upregulation which inadvertently damage the pulmonary vasculature. Patients with these pro-inflammatory aetiologies often have systemic vascular diseases, including digital ischaemia in scleroderma and portal hypertension in schistosomiasis [4, 5], suggesting the same inflammatory stimuli can lead to diverse vascular pathologies. Blocking inflammation could be a curative approach in pulmonary vascular diseases http://ow.ly/dW5M30hB6aj