Our studies suggest that secondary pulmonary hypertension is common in adult patients with sickle cell disease, appears to be resistant to hydroxyurea therapy, is linked to hemolysis and is associated with a high mortality. The current study evaluates (1) the pathophysiologic processes that are associated with and potentially contribute to secondary pulmonary hypertension in adult patients with sickle cell anemia. (2) the relative acute vasodilatory effects of oxygen, intravenous prostacyclin, and inhaled nitric oxide on pulmonary artery pressures and other hemodynamic parameters in patients with secondary pulmonary hypertension and sickle cell disease. (3) the effects of two months of inhaled nitric oxide on pulmonary artery pressures, other hemodynamic parameters, exercise tolerance and symptoms in this patient population and (4) the effects of three months of exchange transfusion on pulmonary artery pressures, other hemodynamic parameters, exercise tolerance, and symptoms in patients who do not receive or fail to respond to NO therapy. We have enrolled 26 subjects in the clinical trail with 13 completing stage I, 9 completing stage II and 6 completing stage III. There have been no adverse events related to the inhalation of nitric oxide and approximately 80% of patients are responding with decreases in pulmonary pressures.
| Anthi, Anastasia; Machado, Roberto F; Jison, Maria L et al. (2007) Hemodynamic and functional assessment of patients with sickle cell disease and pulmonary hypertension. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 175:1272-9 |
| Gladwin, Mark T; Sachdev, Vandana; Jison, Maria L et al. (2004) Pulmonary hypertension as a risk factor for death in patients with sickle cell disease. N Engl J Med 350:886-95 |
