Study of transforming growth factor-a as a diagnostic biomarker for systemic-to-pulmonary shunts induced pulmonary arterial hypertension / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Aim To determine the feasibility of transforming growth factor-a ( TGF-a ) as a diagnostic bio-marker for systemic-to-pulmonary shunts induced pulmonary arterial hypertension ( PAH ). Methods Systemic-to-pulmonary shunts induced PAH was built by combined surgery ( right pulmonary artery was ligated and a cervical shunt was established one week later). A total of 49 patients with congenital heart diseases were recruited, including 24 congenital heart disease patients without PAH(CHD) and 25 congenital heart disease patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (CIID-PAH). Moreover, 20 healthy volunteers matched by age and sex were also included. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (EL1SA) was used to test TGF-a concentrations in plasma of systemic-to-pulmonary shunts induced PAH rats and CHD-PAH patients. Results ELISA results showed that TGF-a levels in plasma of systemic-to-pulmonary shunts induced PAH rats were significantly higher than those of sham operated group. Spearman correlation analysis showed that plasma TGF-a concentrations were positively associated with right ventricular systolic pressure, pulmonary arterial systolic pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure and right ventricular hypertrophy index. The plasma concentration of TGF-a in CHD-PAH patients was much higher than that of CHD patients and healthy vol- unteers ( CON); however, there was no significant difference between CHD group and CON group; Using 314 ng • L"1 as cutoff value of TGF-a for the diagnosis of CHD-PAH, the sensitivity, specificity and area under the cure was 0. 760, 0. 750 and 0. 895, respectively. Conclusions Plasma concentration of TGF-a increases with the progression of systemic-to-pulmonary shunt induced PAH; the level of TGF-a in plasma may be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of systemic- to-pulmonary shunt induced PAII.