TY - JOUR
T1 - Pulmonary vascular abnormalities in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease undergoing lung transplant
AU - Peinado, Victor I.
AU - Gómez, Federico P.
AU - Barberà, Joan Albert
AU - Roman, Antonio
AU - Angels Montero, M.
AU - Ramírez, Josep
AU - Roca, Josep
AU - Rodriguez-Roisin, Roberto
PY - 2013/12/1
Y1 - 2013/12/1
N2 - Little is known about the structure and function relationships of pulmonary vessels in the most severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) spectrum. We investigated morphometric, cellular, and physiologic characteristics of pulmonary arteries from COPD patients undergoing bilateral lung transplant. Methods Seventeen patients with very severe COPD (forced expiratory volume in 1 second, 24% ± 7%) were assessed using inert gas exchange and pulmonary hemodynamics while breathing ambient air and 100% oxygen. Morphometry, in vitro reactivity to hypoxia, and inflammatory cell counts of pulmonary arteries were measured in explanted lungs. Results Patients had moderate ventilation-perfusion imbalance along with mild release of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. Mild pulmonary hypertension was observed in 7 patients. Explanted lungs had predominant emphysema with mild small airway involvement. In vitro reactivity was modestly altered, with relatively preserved endothelium-dependent relaxation, and vascular remodelling was discrete, with intense CD8+ T lymphocytes infiltrate. In vitro reactivity correlated with pulmonary vascular resistance (on ambient air) and oxygen-induced pulmonary artery pressure changes. Patients with pulmonary hypertension had more severe morphologic and physiologic emphysema. Conclusions In end-stage COPD patients undergoing lung transplant, pulmonary vascular involvement is unexpectedly modest, with low-grade endothelial dysfunction. In this sub-set of COPD patients, pulmonary emphysema may constitute the major determinant of the presence of pulmonary hypertension. © 2013 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.
AB - Little is known about the structure and function relationships of pulmonary vessels in the most severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) spectrum. We investigated morphometric, cellular, and physiologic characteristics of pulmonary arteries from COPD patients undergoing bilateral lung transplant. Methods Seventeen patients with very severe COPD (forced expiratory volume in 1 second, 24% ± 7%) were assessed using inert gas exchange and pulmonary hemodynamics while breathing ambient air and 100% oxygen. Morphometry, in vitro reactivity to hypoxia, and inflammatory cell counts of pulmonary arteries were measured in explanted lungs. Results Patients had moderate ventilation-perfusion imbalance along with mild release of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. Mild pulmonary hypertension was observed in 7 patients. Explanted lungs had predominant emphysema with mild small airway involvement. In vitro reactivity was modestly altered, with relatively preserved endothelium-dependent relaxation, and vascular remodelling was discrete, with intense CD8+ T lymphocytes infiltrate. In vitro reactivity correlated with pulmonary vascular resistance (on ambient air) and oxygen-induced pulmonary artery pressure changes. Patients with pulmonary hypertension had more severe morphologic and physiologic emphysema. Conclusions In end-stage COPD patients undergoing lung transplant, pulmonary vascular involvement is unexpectedly modest, with low-grade endothelial dysfunction. In this sub-set of COPD patients, pulmonary emphysema may constitute the major determinant of the presence of pulmonary hypertension. © 2013 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.
KW - End-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
KW - Pulmonary circulation
KW - Pulmonary emphysema
KW - Pulmonary vascular reactivity
KW - Ventilation-perfusion imbalance
U2 - 10.1016/j.healun.2013.09.007
DO - 10.1016/j.healun.2013.09.007
M3 - Article
VL - 32
SP - 1262
EP - 1269
JO - Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation
JF - Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation
SN - 1053-2498
IS - 12
ER -