Publications by authors named "Chris M Happe"
Background: The major complication of COVID-19 is hypoxaemic respiratory failure from capillary leak and alveolar oedema. Experimental and early clinical data suggest that the tyrosine-kinase inhibitor imatinib reverses pulmonary capillary leak.
Methods: This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial was done at 13 academic and non-academic teaching hospitals in the Netherlands.
Response by van der Bruggen et al to Letter Regarding Article, "Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptor Type 2 Mutation in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A View on the Right Ventricle".
Circulation
August 2016
Background: The effect of a mutation in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) gene on right ventricular (RV) pressure overload in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension is unknown. Therefore, we investigated RV function in patients who have pulmonary arterial hypertension with and without the BMPR2 mutation by combining in vivo measurements with molecular and histological analysis of human RV and left ventricular tissue.
Methods And Results: In total, 95 patients with idiopathic or familial pulmonary arterial hypertension were genetically screened for the presence of a BMPR2 mutation: 28 patients had a BMPR2 mutation, and 67 patients did not have a BMPR2 mutation.
Article Synopsis
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is linked to altered blood flow and high shear stress, yet the role of high shear stress on cells and vessels in PAH remains unclear.
- Research showed that microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) from PAH patients had delayed adaptation to high shear stress compared to control cells, causing injury and potential vascular remodeling, while pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (PAECs) did not exhibit this defect.
- The study identifies impaired shear response as a unique dysfunction in PAH MVECs, with potential therapeutic implications, like stabilizing key proteins to restore responsiveness and reduce vascular issues in PAH models.
Unlabelled: In patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (iPAH), iron deficiency is common and has been associated with reduced exercise capacity and worse survival. Previous studies have shown beneficial effects of intravenous iron administration. In this study, we investigated the use of intravenous iron therapy in iron-deficient iPAH patients in terms of safety and effects on exercise capacity, and we studied whether altered exercise capacity resulted from changes in right ventricular (RV) function and skeletal muscle oxygen handling.
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