Hormonal, Metabolic, and Signaling Interaction in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Summary
Our hypothesis is that optimal treatment of the dysfunctional metabolic pathways which underlie PAH will improve pulmonary vascular function and consequences of the disease.
Description
Project 1: This project will work to understand why women are affected by pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) so much more often than men. This observation is true in heritable, idiopathic and associated forms of PAH. While males and females have some similar hormone levels, certain hormones exist at higher levels in each gender. For example, estrogen levels are much higher in females, and thus seemed the most sensible place to start looking for differences that may be affecting disease. In a small, early study of our heritable patients, we found differences in how patients break down estrog…
Eligibility
- Age range
- Up to 90 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: Project 1 Inclusion: 1. Diagnosis of IPAH (idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension), HPAH (heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension), or APAH (associated pulmonary arterial hypertension), family members of affected persons 2. Age 0-90, age 12-90 for skin biopsy Exclusion: 1. Other diagnosis 2. Age greater than 90, age less than 12 or greater than 90 for skin biopsy Project 2 Inclusion: 1. Diagnosis of IPAH, HPAH, or APAH, family members of affected persons 2. 0-90 3. Subjects with reasonably easy access to clinic for blood collection and other testing 4. Subject…
Location
- Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, Tennessee