Biomarkers of vascular inflammation in pulmonary hypertension
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Novel biomarkers of vascular remodelling and inflammation in pulmonary arterial hypertension
IRAS ID
113388
Contact name
Nigel J Klein
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 1 days
Research summary
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe disease where patient survival is very poor as patients have elevated blood pressure in the lungs which progresses to right heart failure. The detection of the disease is very difficult and is made even more challenging due to the rarity of the disease. As diagnosing PAH involves an invasive procedure known as right heart catheterisation that is impractical for screening and monitoring the disease over long periods of time, a more practical approach towards early detection of the disease would be greatly beneficial for patients. This project aims to establish diagnostic tools known as biomarkers, which are able to reveal events involved in the development and progress of the disease such as remodelling and inflammation in blood vessels of the lung, in patients with PAH. This would allow the monitoring of disease progression and patient response to PAH therapy. We will particularly focus on analysing a type of biomarker called microparticles which are small vesicles that are released into the blood from the surface membrane of activated cells during inflammation. These particles that are present in the blood of patients have shown to provide insight into inflammatory conditions known to affect the vasculature. Finding a biomarker that enables early detection of PAH in patients may help stop and possibly reverse the disease progression and improve survival.
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1391
Date of REC Opinion
8 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion