Novel biomarker for pulmonary hypertension

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09127
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cardiovascular medicine
• Research Institution: Juntendo University
• Principal Investigator: Hakuoh Konishi 順天堂大学, 医学部, 准教授 (50459145)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 肺高血圧症 / バイオマーカー / LR11 / 血管平滑筋細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We established serum sLR11 concentration as a biomarker of pulmonary hypertension and elucidated the mechanism of pulmonary arterial hypertension development using Sugen pulmonary hypertension model rat. In pulmonary arterial hypertension (40 cases), serum sLR11 concentration was 10.9 ng / ml, which was significantly increased compared with the normal control group. Although there was no significant difference between the groups in the WHO functional classification, the 6 minute walking distance and the serum sLR11 concentration were positively correlated, suggesting that sLR11 might be an indicator of severity. In animal experiments, lung tissue LR11 protein expression increased to 1.8-fold at the early stage of disease, but was conversely reduced at the terminal stage. The above results suggest that LR11 may be a biomarker for pulmonary hypertension.

Free Research Field

循環器内科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

肺高血圧症治療薬は、現在、エンドセリン受容体拮抗剤、ホスホジエステラーゼ（PDE）５阻害薬、PGI2製剤、sGC刺激薬が使用可能であるが、多剤を用いることが推奨されているが、肺動脈病変進行抑制の指標は未だない。肺動脈病変の進行を抑制しているか否かを感度良く判定するバイオマーカーの開発は、医療経済上も高価なPAH治療薬を投与する上で重要であるが、本研究では、肺高血圧治療効果判定に有用な新規バイオマーカーになる可能性が示唆された。