Elevation of plasma cell-free hemoglobin in pulmonary arterial hypertension

EL Brittain, DR Janz, ED Austin, JA Bastarache… - Chest, 2014 - Elsevier
BACKGROUND: Cell-free hemoglobin (CFH) is a potent nitric oxide scavenger associated
with poor outcomes in several diseases. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is
characterized by reduced nitric oxide availability. We hypothesized that CFH would be
elevated in PAH and would associate with hemodynamics and clinical outcomes.
METHODS: We measured CFH in 200 consecutively evaluated patients with PAH, 16
unaffected bone morphogenetic receptor protein type 2 (BMPR2) mutation carriers, 19 …