Your Messages Inbox (0) 
Your Unread Messages
See AllMost Viewed Abstracts
1. Report Shows Shift in Starting Salaries for Physicians 2. 2008 Exclusive Survey—Earnings: Good news for primary care income 3. Medicare pay-for-reporting effort draws fire from frustrated doctors 4. Debunking Myths in the US Healthcare System 5. EGFR inhibitors as first-line therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Your Article Summary
Pulmonary arterial hypertension complicating connective tissue diseases
Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 08/06/09
Hassoun PM et al. – Pulmonary hypertension (PAH) is a common complication of connective tissue diseases (CTD), particularly systemic sclerosis (SSc). This article reviews the clinical features associated with it and available thearapies.
- Risk factors for development of PAH in SSc:
- Limited systemic sclerosis
- Late age of onset
- Raynaud phenomenon
- Reduction in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO)
- A forced vital capacity (FVC):DLCO ratio of <1.6
- Elevation of serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (N-TproBNP) levels
- Antibodies (e.g., anti-U3 RNP)
- THERAPY- Evidence of chronically impaired endothelial function affecting vascular tone and remodeling has been the basis for current therapy of PAH:
- Vasodilator therapy using high-dose calcium channel blockers is an effective long-term therapy (<7% of IPAH pts) who demonstrate acute vasodilation
- Other available therapies: antiinflammatory drugs, prostaglandins, endothelin receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, combination therapy, anticoagulation, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors Modern therapy for PAH appears to be of limited value in SSc-PAH; available markers of disease severity or response to therapy are either limited or lacking. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify potential genetic causes and novel physiological, molecular, and imaging biomarkers that will allow a better understanding of the underlying pathogenesis and serve as reliable tools to monitor therapy in this devastating syndrome.
Related Articles
Low prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in southern China
Rheumatology International, 10/21/09 Relevance Score: 48%Is pulmonary arterial hypertension really a late complication of systemic sclerosis
Chest, 10/12/09 Relevance Score: 48%Comparative study on circulating endothelial progenitor cells in systemic lupus erythematosus patients at active stage
Rheumatology International, 10/28/09 Relevance Score: 47%Risk factors for development of coronary artery disease in women with systemic lupus erythematosus
Journal of Rheumatology, 10/20/09 Relevance Score: 47%Impaired C3b/iC3b deposition on Streptococcus pneumoniae in serum from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Rheumatology, 10/02/09 Relevance Score: 47%Today in CV/Thromboembolic...keeping you current
Receive free subspecialty "5-minute updates" via email
Quantitative CT Measures of Emphysema and Airway Wall Thickness Are Related to Respiratory Symptoms
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 11/23/09Video-Assisted Pericardial Fenestration for Effusions after Cardiac Surgery
Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals, 11/23/09Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals, 11/20/09Today in Restrictive Lung Dz...keeping you current
Receive free subspecialty "5-minute updates" via email
Computer-assisted quantification of interstitial lung disease associated with rheumatoid arthritis: Preliminary technical validation
European Journal of Radiology, 11/20/09Incidence, Prevalence, and Clinical Course of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: a Population-Based Study
Chest, 09/30/09Anti-synthetase syndrome in ANA and anti-Jo-1 negative patients presenting with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia
Respiratory Medicine, 10/06/09
Sponsor
Article Search
Sponsor