title: Unraveling the mechanism of high altitude pulmonary edema.
abstract: During the last decade, major advances in the understanding of the mechanism of high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) have supplemented the landmark work done in the previous 30 years. A brief review of the earlier studies will be described, which will then be followed by a more complete treatise on the subsequent research, which has elucidated the role of accentuated pulmonary hypertension in the development of HAPE. Vasoactive mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1, have played a major role in this understanding and have led to preventive and therapeutic interventions. Additionally, the role of the alveolar epithelium and the Na-K ATPase pump in alveolar fluid clearance has also more recently been understood. Direction for future work will be given as well.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 92103, USA. rschoen@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Schoene
mesh_terms: D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000502:physiology