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Published on: May 11, 2015
The Pathobiology of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Sudarshan Rajagopal1, Yen-Rei A Yu2
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Room 128A Hanes House, 330 Trent Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Abstract:
Pulmonary arterial hypertension is characterized by obliteration and obstruction of the pulmonary arterioles that in turn results in high right ventricular afterload and right heart failure. The pathobiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension is complex, with contributions from multiple pathophysiologic processes that are regulated by a variety of molecular mechanisms. This nature likely explains the limited efficacy of our current therapies, which only target a small portion of the pathobiological mechanisms that underlie advanced disease. Here we review the pathobiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension, focusing on the systemic, cellular, and molecular mechanisms that underlie the disease.
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