[Plasma endothelin-1 and pulmonary hemodynamics at pre-or post exercise in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) affects the pathologic physiologic process of pulmonary hypertension (PH) secondary to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


METHODS
Forty-six patients with COPD who underwent right float-assisted cardiac cather examination and a supine ergometer exercise test were classified into 3 groups, that is, group A with PH, group B with latent PH and group C without PH.


RESULTS
(1) There was a marked higher ET-1 level in femoral arterial plasma than in pulmonary arterial plasma from group A at pre-or post-exercise or group B at post-exercise. (2) Plasma ET-1 levels of A and B groups post-exercise are higher that that in group B post-exercise than that in group C. (3) ET-1 level is also higher in group B post-exercise than that in group C. (4) There was significant correlation between the ET-1 level and mPAP, PVR, PaO2 of group A at pre- and post-exercise or group B at post-exercise.


CONCLUSIONS
These finding suggest a role for ET-1 in regulating pulmonary circulation of PH secondary to COPD).
Chen
L
L
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai.
Luo
W
W
D000368:Aged; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation
D019332:Endothelin-1