View clinical trials related to Hepatopulmonary Syndrome.
Filter by:The triad of liver disease, arterial hypoxia, and extensive pulmonary vascular dilatation is known as the hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS). The prevalence of this syndrome ranges from 10% to 30% in people with chronic liver disease. The exact cause of HPS is unknown. Previous research has shown that eicosanoids function as vasoconstrictors and cause an increase in the number of intravascular macrophage-like cells. Cirrhosis has been linked to increased NO generation in the lungs, which has been linked to intrapulmonary venous dilation. Increased pulmonary NO production is attributed to increased expression of pulmonary vascular endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and inducible NO synthase. Increased hepatic synthesis and release of low levels of endothelin 1 (ET-1) has been established in recent investigations to function as a trigger for increasing eNO levels. TNF (tumor necrosis factor) and ET-1 have both been linked to the onset of experimental HPS. Increased CO generation and heme oxygenase expression have been linked to the progression of HPS in recent investigations. HPS increases mortality in cirrhotic patients and may affect the frequency and severity of portal hypertension consequences. To the best of our knowledge there have been only three pilot studies in humans which checked the effect of pentoxifylline in hepatopulmonary syndrome and they showed highly contrasting results. The outcome was also measured in a short interval. Investigator hypothesize that pentoxifylline would improve the oxygenation in patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome