title: Plasma lipoprotein(a) levels in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pulmonary artery hypertension is a common sequelae of a variety of cardiac and lung diseases. Pathogenesis of primary and secondary pulmonary artery hypertension is still debatable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied the serum lipoprotein(a) levels in patients with primary (n=27) and secondary (n=19) pulmonary artery hypertension (Eisenmenger syndrome). The results were compared with age and sex matched controls (n=46). We also studied the frequency of high levels of lipoprotein(a) (> 30 mg/dl) in pulmonary artery hypertension. Mean lipoprotein(a) levels were significantly higher in the pulmonary artery hypertension group compared to age- and sex-matched controls (31.60+/-15.49 mg/dl v. 14.66+/-14.7; p=0.0001). All patients were classified into two groups on the basis of their lipoprotein(a) levels (<30 mg/dl and >30 mg/dl). There was a higher frequency of lipoprotein(a) >30 mg/dl in patients of pulmonary artery hypertension v. controls (52% v. 24%; p= <0.001). Younger age, higher functional class, more severe congestive heart failure, shorter duration of symptoms. and more cases of hemoptysis were observed in the group with lipoprotein(a) >30 mg/dl.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High lipoprotein(a) may be a marker and be associated with a more adverse prognosis in severe pulmonary artery hypertension. Larger prospective studies are needed to establish lipoprotein(a) as a risk factor for the development of pulmonary artery hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology & Endocrinology, Sanjay Gandhi PGIMS, Lucknow.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tewari
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Godbole
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sinha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004541:Eisenmenger Complex / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D017270:Lipoprotein(a)