Extract
Schistosomiasis is a prevalent cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), currently classified as group 1 pulmonary hypertension (PH) [1]. In comparison to other aetiologies of PAH, such as idiopathic PAH, schistosomiasis-associated PAH (Sch-PAH) has not been extensively studied. Potential mechanisms of PAH development in schistosomiasis include systemic and localised lung inflammation, involvement of other organs, such as the liver and spleen, and direct blockage of precapillary vessels from parasite egg embolisation. Currently, the diagnosis of Sch-PAH relies on haemodynamic assessment using right heart catheterisation. In several aetiologies of PH, loss of visualised distal vascular volume has been quantified from pulmonary angiography [2, 3] and computed tomography (CT) of the lungs [4–6]. Additionally, loss of distal vascular volume has been shown to be associated with loss of vascular cross-sectional area histologically [7]. In this pilot study, we hypothesised that relative loss of arterial pulmonary vascular volume differentially correlates with haemodynamics in Sch-PAH patients, compared to a group of control subjects.
Abstract
Relative loss of vascular volume in small vessels compared to total vascular volume is a marker of pulmonary arterial hypertension in schistosomiasis and is correlated with pulmonary vascular remodelling by haemodynamics https://bit.ly/3bfIlAQ
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: F.N. Rahaghi reports grants from NHLBI/NIH, during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of interest: J.F. Hilton has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: R.A. Corrêa has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: C. Loureiro has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: J.S. Ota-Arakaki has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: C.G.Y. Verrastro has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: M.H. Lee owns shares in NANO X IMAGING LTD (NNOX), outside the submitted work.
Conflict of interest: C. Mickael has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: P. Nardelli has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: D.A. Systrom has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: A.B. Waxman has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: G.R. Washko reports grants from NIH, grants and other (consultant, advisory board member) from Boehringer Ingelheim, other (founder and co-owner) from Quantitative Imaging Solutions, other (consulting, data monitoring committee) from PulmonX, grants and other (consultant) from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, other (consultant) from GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis, other (consultant, advisory board member) from Vertex and CSL Behring, outside the submitted work; and G.R. Washko's spouse works for Biogen.
Conflict of interest: R. San José Estépar reports grants from NIH-NHLBI, during the conduct of the study; personal fees from LeukoLabs and Chiesi, grants and personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, outside the submitted work; and is also a founder and co-owner of Quantitative Imaging Solutions, which is a company that provides image based consulting and develops software to enable data sharing.
Conflict of interest: B.B. Graham reports grants from NIH, during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of interest: R.K.F. Oliveira has nothing to disclose.
Support statement: This study was supported in part by NHLBI grants 1K23HL136905 (F.N. Rahaghi) 5R01HL116473-08 (R. San José Estépar and G.R. Washko), 1R01HL149877-01 (R. San José Estépar) and P01HL152961 (B.B. Graham). Funding information for this article has been deposited with the Crossref Funder Registry.
- Received October 20, 2020.
- Accepted December 19, 2020.
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