PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Stefan Pabst
AU  - Christoph Hammerstingl
AU  - Carolynne Schwarze-Zander
AU  - Julia Ohlig
AU  - Tabea Nussbaum
AU  - Georg Nickenig
AU  - Juergen Rockstroh
AU  - Dirk Skowasch
TI  - Praevalence of pulmonary arterial hypertension in the HIV cohort of the University Bonn: Results of the PAHIBO study
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - p2333
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2333.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2333.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - Background: PAH (pulmonary arterial hypertension) is a rare and life-threatening complication of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection. An investigation of the presence of HIV infection is a standard diagnosis in patients with unexplained PAH. Previous studies suggest a prevalence of PAH in HIV patients close to about 0.5%, but are limited in the study design. Therefore the exact prevalence is unclear.Methods: The PAHIBO study is investigating all HIV patients (n = 700) at the University Hospital of Bonn in a prospective cross-sectional study. If systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (sPAP) is > 35 mmHg in Doppler echocardiography, right heart catheterization is followed.Results: To date, 340 patients were enrolled, 44/340 (13%) had an echocardiographic sPAP > 35 mm Hg. The right heart catheterization was carried out so far in 22/44 patients with echocardiographically proven PH. In 4 cases, a precapillary PAH (including a complete work-up and exclusion of other causes of PAH) was diagnosed, of which 1 case was already known, in 13 cases postcapillary PH and in the remaining 5 cases, the exclusion of a manifest PH. Thus, the PAHIBO study reveals a prevalence of HIV-associated PAH of at least 4/340 cases (1.2%).Conclusion: The prevalence of HIV-associated PAH is probably higher than previously described. Severe cardiac and respiratory comorbidities are very frequent in the examined HIV cohort. If these results should be confirmed in the extended cohort of 700 patients, a regular echocardiographic screening in asymptomatic HIV patients is to discuss.