Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension anno 2021

Human Plasma IgG N-Glycome Profiles Reveal a Proinflammatory Phenotype in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension

BACKGROUND

The pathological mechanism of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is not fully understood, and inflammation has been reported to be one of its etiological factors. IgG regulates systemic inflammatory homeostasis, primarily through its N-glycans. Little is known about IgG N-glycosylation in CTEPH. We aimed to map the IgG N-glycome of CTEPH to provide new insights into its pathogenesis and discover novel markers and therapies.

METHODS

We characterized the plasma IgG N-glycome of patients with CTEPH in a discovery cohort and validated our results in an independent validation cohort using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. Thereafter, we correlated IgG N-glycans with clinical parameters and circulating inflammatory cytokines in patients with CTEPH. Furthermore, we determined IgG N-glycan quantitative trait loci in CTEPH to reveal partial mechanisms underlying glycan changes.

RESULTS

Decreased IgG galactosylation representing a proinflammatory phenotype was found in CTEPH. The distribution of IgG galactosylation showed a strong association with NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) in CTEPH. In line with the glycomic findings, IgG pro-/anti-inflammatory N-glycans correlated well with a series of inflammatory markers and gene loci that have been reported to be involved in the regulation of these glycans or inflammatory immune responses.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to reveal the full signature of the IgG N-glycome of a proinflammatory phenotype and the genes involved in its regulation in CTEPH. Plasma IgG galactosylation may be useful for evaluating the inflammatory state in patients with CTEPH; however, this requires further validation. This study improves our understanding of the mechanisms underlying CTEPH inflammation from the perspective of glycomics.

Biomarkers of collagen turnover and wound healing in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension patients before and after pulmonary endarterectomy

BACKGROUND

In chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), fibrotic remodeling of tissue and thrombi contributes to disease progression. Removal of the thromboembolic mass by pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) improves hemodynamics and right ventricular function, but the roles of different collagens before as well as after PEA are not well understood.

METHODS

In this study, hemodynamics and 15 different biomarkers of collagen turnover and wound healing were evaluated in 40 CTEPH patients at diagnosis (baseline) and 6 and 18 months after PEA. Baseline biomarker levels were compared with a historical cohort of 40 healthy subjects.

RESULTS

Biomarkers of collagen turnover and wound healing were increased in CTEPH patients compared with healthy controls, including a 35-fold increase in the PRO-C4 marker of type IV collagen formation and a 55-fold increase in the C3M marker of type III collagen degradation. PEA reduced pulmonary pressures to almost normal levels 6 months after the procedure, with no further improvement at 18 months. There were no changes in any of the measured biomarkers after PEA.

CONCLUSIONS

Biomarkers of collagen formation and degradation are increased in CTEPH suggesting a high collagen turnover. While PEA effectively reduces pulmonary pressures, collagen turnover is not significantly modified by surgical PEA.

Venous thromboembolism: Why is it still a significant health problem?

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains the third leading cause of acute cardiovascular syndrome following myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. The global burden of disease worldwide is high and shows a steady upward trend in recent years with an incidence of 1-2 per 1000 adults per year. The overarching goal of the initial management of VTE is to prevent early and late adverse outcomes. Rapid evaluation and therapeutic intervention is vital to improving prognosis.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus databases for articles published in the last 10 years. Additionally, some earlier articles were analyzed.

RESULTS

For the purposes of this review, we discussed how understanding the epidemiology of VTE and the current knowledge of early and late complications of this disease have shaped the current approach to VTE prevention. We also analyzed the current knowledge and the most up-to-date information about VTE in COVID-19 infection. Contemporary perspective presented in this article on mortality in VTE, the incidence of recurrences, the risk of major bleeding during therapy and the chronic complications indicate why this is a major challenge for today's medicine and a current target for further research.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the interaction between environmental and genetic factors appears to be crucial in the diagnostic process. It can provide insight into the pathophysiology of VTE, potentially identifying options for targeted prevention and treatment. However, due to differences in clinical presentation, diagnosing pulmonary embolism may not be an easy task which perfectly illustrates the scale and complexity of the disease.

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: An Observational Study

Background and Objectives: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) has a high mortality. The treatment of CTEPH could be balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA), medical (MT) or pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). This study aims to assess the clinical characteristics of CTEPH patients, surgically or medically treated, in a pulmonology referral center. Materials and Methods: A total of 124 patients with PH with suspected CTEPH (53 male subjects and 71 female subjects; mean age at diagnosis 67 ± 6) were asked to give informed consent and then were evaluated. The presence of CTEPH was ascertained by medical evaluations, radiology and laboratory tests. Results: After the evaluation of all clinical data, 65 patients met the inclusion criteria for CTEPH and they were therefore enrolled (22 males and 43 females; mean age at diagnosis was 69 ± 8). 26 CTEPH patients were treated with PEA, 32 with MT and 7 with BPA. There was a statistically significant age difference between the PEA and MT groups, at the time of diagnosis, the PEA patients were younger than the MT patients, whereas there was no statistically significant difference in other clinical characteristics (e.g., smoking habit, thrombophilia predisposition), as well as functional and hemodynamic parameters (e.g., 6-min walk test, right heart catheterization). During three years of follow-up, no patients in the PEA groups died; conversely, eleven patients in the MT group died during the same period (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a significant decrease in plasma BNP values and an increase in a meter at the six-minute walk test, 1 and 3 years after surgery, were observed in the PEA group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study seems to confirm that pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) can provide an improvement in functional tests in CTEPH.

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: An Update

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare disease observed in a small proportion of patients after acute pulmonary embolism (PE). CTEPH has a high morbidity and mortality rate, related to the PH severity, and a poor prognosis, which mirrors the right ventricular dysfunction involvement. Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) reduces pulmonary vascular resistance, making it the treatment of choice and should be offered to operable CTEPH patients, as significant symptomatic and prognostic improvement has been observed. Moreover, these patients may also benefit from the advances made in surgical techniques and pulmonary hypertension-specific medication. However, not all patients are eligible for PEA surgery, as some have either distal pulmonary vascular obstruction and/or significant comorbidities. Therefore, surgical candidates should be carefully selected by an interprofessional team in expert centers. This review aims at making an overview of the risk factors and latest developments in diagnostic tools and treatment options for CTEPH.