RATIONALE: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a pulmonary vasculopathy that leads to failure of the right ventricle and premature death. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the sublingual microcirculation is affected in patients with PAH compared with healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects. METHODS: Using the CapiScope Handheld Video Capillaroscope we measured the sublingual microvasculature density, flow index, tortuosity, and curvature. Videos were acquired immediately after right heart catheterization, and determinations were made off-line by investigators blinded to the group assignment or hemodynamics. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In this cross-sectional pilot study, we included 26 patients with PAH (age, mean ± SD, 56.7 ± 10 yr; 77% women) and 14 healthy control subjects (age, 53.1 ± 12 yr; 71% women). Sublingual microvasculature flow index was lower (2 ± 0.66 vs. 2.7 ± 0.37, P < 0.001) with higher heterogeneity index (0.63 ± 0.63 vs. 0.25 ± 0.25, P = 0.04) in patients with PAH than control subjects. Microvasculature density was similar between the groups, but tortuosity was more pronounced in patients than control subjects (tort 0: 45 ± 19 vs. 23.6 ± 12, P = 0.001 and tort 1: 0.2 ± 0.16 vs. 0.06 ± 0.04, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PAH showed lower sublingual microvasculature flow index and higher tortuosity compared with healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects. Further investigations are needed to assess whether this methodology can provide information on disease prognosis and/or response to therapy in this condition.
RATIONALE: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a pulmonary vasculopathy that leads to failure of the right ventricle and premature death. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the sublingual microcirculation is affected in patients with PAH compared with healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects. METHODS: Using the CapiScope Handheld Video Capillaroscope we measured the sublingual microvasculature density, flow index, tortuosity, and curvature. Videos were acquired immediately after right heart catheterization, and determinations were made off-line by investigators blinded to the group assignment or hemodynamics. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In this cross-sectional pilot study, we included 26 patients with PAH (age, mean ± SD, 56.7 ± 10 yr; 77% women) and 14 healthy control subjects (age, 53.1 ± 12 yr; 71% women). Sublingual microvasculature flow index was lower (2 ± 0.66 vs. 2.7 ± 0.37, P < 0.001) with higher heterogeneity index (0.63 ± 0.63 vs. 0.25 ± 0.25, P = 0.04) in patients with PAH than control subjects. Microvasculature density was similar between the groups, but tortuosity was more pronounced in patients than control subjects (tort 0: 45 ± 19 vs. 23.6 ± 12, P = 0.001 and tort 1: 0.2 ± 0.16 vs. 0.06 ± 0.04, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:Patients with PAH showed lower sublingual microvasculature flow index and higher tortuosity compared with healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects. Further investigations are needed to assess whether this methodology can provide information on disease prognosis and/or response to therapy in this condition.
Authors: Gérald Simonneau; Ivan M Robbins; Maurice Beghetti; Richard N Channick; Marion Delcroix; Christopher P Denton; C Gregory Elliott; Sean P Gaine; Mark T Gladwin; Zhi-Cheng Jing; Michael J Krowka; David Langleben; Norifumi Nakanishi; Rogério Souza Journal: J Am Coll Cardiol Date: 2009-06-30 Impact factor: 24.094
Authors: R Schweizer; K Merz; S Schlosser; T Spanholtz; C Contaldo; J V Stein; V Enzmann; P Giovanoli; D Erni; J A Plock Journal: Eur Surg Res Date: 2011-11-02 Impact factor: 1.745
Authors: Yasser Sakr; Marc-Jacques Dubois; Daniel De Backer; Jacques Creteur; Jean-Louis Vincent Journal: Crit Care Med Date: 2004-09 Impact factor: 7.598
Authors: Daniel De Backer; Steven Hollenberg; Christiaan Boerma; Peter Goedhart; Gustavo Büchele; Gustavo Ospina-Tascon; Iwan Dobbe; Can Ince Journal: Crit Care Date: 2007 Impact factor: 9.097
Authors: Adriano R Tonelli; Mostafa K Ahmed; Laith Alkukhun; Frank Cikach; Kulwant Aulak; Raed A Dweik Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 2015-10-15 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: Jarrod W Barnes; Adriano R Tonelli; Gustavo A Heresi; Jennie E Newman; Noël E Mellor; David E Grove; Raed A Dweik Journal: Pulm Circ Date: 2016-12 Impact factor: 3.017
Authors: Nils P Nickel; Ke Yuan; Peter Dorfmuller; Steeve Provencher; Yen-Chun Lai; Sebastien Bonnet; Eric D Austin; Carl D Koch; Alison Morris; Frédéric Perros; David Montani; Roham T Zamanian; Vinicio A de Jesus Perez Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 2020-01-15 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: James S Bell; Aminat O Adio; Andrew Pitt; Lindsay Hayman; Clare E Thorn; Angela C Shore; Jacqueline L Whatmore; C Peter Winlove Journal: J Vasc Res Date: 2021-09-20 Impact factor: 1.934
Authors: Maziyar M Khansari; Justin Wanek; Anthony E Felder; Nicole Camardo; Mahnaz Shahidi Journal: IEEE Trans Med Imaging Date: 2015-10-06 Impact factor: 10.048
Authors: Can Ince; E Christiaan Boerma; Maurizio Cecconi; Daniel De Backer; Nathan I Shapiro; Jacques Duranteau; Michael R Pinsky; Antonio Artigas; Jean-Louis Teboul; Irwin K M Reiss; Cesar Aldecoa; Sam D Hutchings; Abele Donati; Marco Maggiorini; Fabio S Taccone; Glenn Hernandez; Didier Payen; Dick Tibboel; Daniel S Martin; Alexander Zarbock; Xavier Monnet; Arnaldo Dubin; Jan Bakker; Jean-Louis Vincent; Thomas W L Scheeren Journal: Intensive Care Med Date: 2018-02-06 Impact factor: 17.440
Authors: Barbara Ruaro; Marco Confalonieri; Francesco Salton; Barbara Wade; Elisa Baratella; Pietro Geri; Paola Confalonieri; Metka Kodric; Marco Biolo; Cosimo Bruni Journal: Pharmaceuticals (Basel) Date: 2021-04-23