PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Svenja L. Tiede AU - Henning Gall AU - Oliver Dörr AU - Marina dos Santos Guilherme AU - Christian Troidl AU - Christoph Liebetrau AU - Sandra Voss AU - Robert Voswinckel AU - Ralph T. Schermuly AU - Werner Seeger AU - Friedrich Grimminger AU - Andreas M. Zeiher AU - Stefanie Dimmeler AU - Helge Möllmann AU - Christian W. Hamm AU - Hossein Ardeschir Ghofrani AU - Holger M. Nef TI - New potential diagnostic biomarkers for pulmonary hypertension AID - 10.1183/13993003.00187-2015 DP - 2015 Nov 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - 1390--1396 VI - 46 IP - 5 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/5/1390.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/5/1390.full SO - Eur Respir J2015 Nov 01; 46 AB - This study aimed to determine whether the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family members soluble VEGF receptor 1 (also called soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1)) and placental growth factor (PlGF) could be used as biomarkers for pulmonary hypertension (PH).Consecutive patients undergoing right heart catheterisation were enrolled (those with mean pulmonary arterial pressure ≥25 mmHg were classed as having PH; those with mean pulmonary arterial pressure <25 mmHg acted as non-PH controls). Plasma from the time of PH diagnosis was analysed for PlGF and sFlt-1 using enzyme immunoassays.In total, 247 patients with PH were enrolled: 62 with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), 14 with associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (APAH), 21 with collagen vascular disease (CVD), 26 with pulmonary venous hypertension, 67 with lung disease-associated PH and 57 with chronic thromboembolic PH. The non-PH control group consisted of 40 patients. sFlt-1 plasma levels were significantly higher in patients with IPAH, APAH, CVD and lung disease-associated PH versus controls; PlGF levels were significantly higher in all PH groups versus controls. The combination of sFlt-1 and PlGF resulted in a sensitivity of 83.7% with specificity of 100% for pulmonary arterial hypertension. There was no association between sFlt-1 or PlGF and haemodynamic parameters, 6-min walking distance or survival.In summary, PlGF and sFlt-1 are promising diagnostic biomarkers for PH.This study shows a high potential for VEGF family members as diagnostic biomarkers for pulmonary hypertension http://ow.ly/P5GCW