title: Progress in investigating the pathogenesis of hepatopulmonary syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pathogenesis of hepatopulmonary syndrome is complicated and remains unknown. This review aims to provide an updated knowledge about the pathogenesis of the syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five medical databases, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, OVID, Springer Link, and Wiley InterScience were searched for articles on "hepatopulmonary syndrome", "cirrhosis", "angiogenesis", "intestinal endotoxemia", "nitric oxide", "carbon monoxide", and other related subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Currently, imbalance between vasodilation and vasoconstriction, intestinal bacterial translocation, intestinal endotoxemia, and activation of the lung monocyte/macrophage system may play important roles in the pathogenesis of hepatopulmonary syndrome. Recent studies found that angiogenesis is also an important factor in the pathogenesis of experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Angiogenesis inhibition may be a potential approach for the treatment of hepatopulmonary syndrome in the future.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Jie
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chang-Qing
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D019446:Endotoxemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D020065:Hepatopulmonary Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology