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Inflammatory cytokines in pulmonary hypertension

2014; BioMed Central; Volume: 15; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1186/1465-9921-15-47

1465-993X

Alexandra Groth, Bart Vrugt, Matthias Brock, Rudolf Speich, Silvia Ulrich, Lars Huber,

Cardiovascular, Neuropeptides, and Oxidative Stress Research

Pulmonary hypertension is an "umbrella term" used for a spectrum of entities resulting in an elevation of the pulmonary arterial pressure. Clinical symptoms include dyspnea and fatigue which in the absence of adequate therapeutic intervention may lead to progressive right heart failure and death. The pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension is characterized by three major processes including vasoconstriction, vascular remodeling and microthrombotic events. In addition accumulating evidence point to a cytokine driven inflammatory process as a major contributor to the development of pulmonary hypertension. This review summarizes the latest clinical and experimental developments in inflammation associated with pulmonary hypertension with special focus on Interleukin-6, and its role in vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension.