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Elevated plasma hyaluronan levels in pulmonary hypertension
Nihat Kalay1, Deniz Elcik, Halit Canatan
1Department of Cardiology, Erciyes University, Faculty of Medicine, Melikgazi, Kayseri, Turkey.
The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine
|May 1, 2013
Summary
Elevated plasma hyaluronan (HA) levels are linked to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with heart failure or COPD. This finding suggests HA may play a role in PAH development.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pulmonology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe condition with unknown mechanisms, potentially involving tissue remodeling and inflammation.
- Hyaluronan (HA), a key extracellular matrix component, is implicated in various biological processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate plasma hyaluronan (HA) levels in patients with PAH associated with systolic congestive heart failure (CHF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- To explore the relationship between plasma HA levels and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and echocardiographic parameters.
Main Methods:
- Plasma HA levels were measured using an enzyme-linked HA binding assay.
- Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and left atrium diameter were assessed via echocardiography.
- A cohort of 16 CHF patients, 18 COPD patients, and 14 healthy controls were included.
Main Results:
- Patients with CHF and COPD exhibited significantly higher plasma HA levels compared to healthy controls.
- Plasma HA levels were significantly elevated in both CHF (73.0 ± 37.5 ng/ml) and COPD (87.3 ± 53.2 ng/ml) groups versus controls (26.2 ± 8.4 ng/ml).
- In COPD patients, plasma HA levels correlated with PAP and left atrium diameter.
Conclusions:
- Both congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are associated with elevated plasma hyaluronan levels.
- Increased plasma HA may contribute to the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
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