Complications of right heart catheterization procedures in patients with pulmonary hypertension in experienced centers

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to assess the risks associated with right heart catheter procedures in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND

Right heart catheterization, pulmonary vasoreactivity testing, and pulmonary angiography are established diagnostic tools in patients with pulmonary hypertension, but the risks associated with these procedures have not been systematically evaluated in a multicenter study.

METHODS

We performed a multicenter 5-year retrospective and 6-month prospective evaluation of serious adverse events related to right heart catheter procedures in patients with pulmonary hypertension, as defined by a mean pulmonary artery pressure >25 mm Hg at rest, undergoing right heart catheterization with or without pulmonary vasoreactivity testing or pulmonary angiography.

RESULTS

During the retrospective period, 5,727 right heart catheter procedures were reported, and 1,491 were reported from the prospective period, for a total of 7,218 right heart catheter procedures performed. The results from the retrospective and the prospective analyses were almost identical. The overall number of serious adverse events was 76 (1.1%, 95% confidence interval 0.8% to 1.3%). The most frequent complications were related to venous access (e.g., hematoma, pneumothorax), followed by arrhythmias and hypotensive episodes related to vagal reactions or pulmonary vasoreactivity testing. The vast majority of these complications were mild to moderate in intensity and resolved either spontaneously or after appropriate intervention. Four fatal events were recorded in association with any of the catheter procedures, resulting in an overall procedure-related mortality of 0.055% (95% confidence interval 0.01% to 0.099%).

CONCLUSIONS

When performed in experienced centers, right heart catheter procedures in patients with pulmonary hypertension are associated with low morbidity and mortality rates.

Optical coherence tomography detects structural abnormalities of the nasal mucosa in patients with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Chronic inflammation and remodeling of the airways remain a hallmark of cystic fibrosis (CF). However, knowledge of the associated mucosal micro-anatomical changes is limited. We evaluated the potential of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for in vivo imaging of the upper airway mucosa in CF patients.

METHODS

A flexible OCT probe was used for cross-sectional imaging of the nasal mucosa in 25 CF patients and 25 healthy controls.

RESULTS

OCT images showed mucosal details including epithelium, basement membrane, lamina propria with seromucinous glands, and underlying cartilaginous structures. Mean nasal mucosa and epithelial layer thickness were increased in CF compared to controls. In CF patients, antibiotic therapy was associated with reduced nasal mucosa thickening.

CONCLUSIONS

OCT detected mucosal changes associated with upper airway inflammation and response to antibiotic therapy in CF patients. OCT may be a useful tool for quantitative in vivo assessment of structural changes of the airway mucosa.

Fibrocytes in chronic lung disease--facts and controversies

Fibrocytes are bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cell precursors, defined primarily by their ability to co-express markers of both haematopoietic (e.g. CD45 or CXCR4) and stromal (e.g. collagen) lineages. Fibrocytes in culture also have ultrastructural cell surface features that distinguish them from other leukocytes. Extensive efforts have helped to characterise fibrocytes phenotypically and functionally, but it is still unclear exactly how these cells contribute to tissue repair and/or pathologic fibrosis. Nevertheless, the varied levels of fibrocytes in blood have raised considerable interest as a biomarker of disease activity, such as chronic lung diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis, asthma and pulmonary hypertension. These cells also may become a novel therapeutic target for these difficult to treat disorders. This review will briefly summarize the current knowledge about fibrocytes in human lung disease and in animal disease models and highlight areas of consensus as well as issues that remain controversial to date.

Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis in association with carcinomas

PPFE is a rare disease characterized by upper lobe pleural fibrosis and parenchymal fibroelastosis. Its aetiology is considered idiopathic, although possible causative factors have been described. An association of PPFE with solid tumours is unknown and has not been considered previously. We identified six patients with PPFE, four of them with a coexisting malignancy. The case series suggests that PPFE might be an implication of varying factors rather than being an exclusively idiopathic condition.

New treatment and markers of prognosis for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: lessons learned from translational research

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive interstitial lung disease with increasing prevalence, high mortality rates and poor treatment options. The diagnostic process is complex and often requires an interdisciplinary approach between different specialists. Information gained over the past 10 years of intense research resulted in improved diagnostic algorithms, a better understanding of the underlying pathogenesis and the development of new therapeutic options. Specifically, the change from the traditional concept that viewed IPF as a chronic inflammatory disorder to the current belief that is primarily resulting from aberrant wound healing enabled the identification of novel treatment targets. This increased the clinical trial activity dramatically and resulted in the approval of the first IPF-specific therapy in many countries. Still, the natural history and intrinsic behavior of IPF are very difficult to predict. There is an urgent need for new therapies and also for development and validation of prognostic markers that predict disease progression, survival and also response to antifibrotic drugs. This review provides an up to date summary of the most relevant clinical trials, novel therapeutic drug targets and outlines a spectrum of potential prognostic biomarkers for IPF.