Evaluation of Pulmonary Perfusion Heterogeneity and Compliance in Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension Using Positron Emission Tomography Imaging

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Clinical Trial

Official title: Evaluation of Pulmonary Perfusion Heterogeneity and Compliance in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Using Functional Positron Emission Tomography Imaging

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of the study is to find out how the blood flow changes in the lungs of people with pulmonary hypertension compared to healthy individuals without pulmonary hypertension. We would like to find out if there are differences in how blood flows when subjects are given a drug to dilate (widen) the arteries in their lungs and when they breathe extra oxygen. We will compare the results to when subjects don't receive any drug or extra oxygen. We hope that knowing about these differences will help us to better understand pulmonary hypertension and how to diagnose it earlier.

Clinical Trial Description

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) refers to abnormalities in the pulmonary vasculature associated with a diverse group of disorders. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies pulmonary hypertension into five groups, with Group I comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension (formerly referred to as "primary pulmonary hypertension"). Although not currently a part of the WHO classification, exercise-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (EIPAH), defined by normal pulmonary artery pressures at rest and elevation of pulmonary pressures with exercise, is increasingly recognized as a distinct clinical entity. In some patients, exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension may represent a precursor for developing an established elevation in pulmonary pressures at rest that defines PAH. Functional PET imaging has not previously been utilized to quantify perfusion and vascular compliance in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The overall goal of this study is to evaluate regional lung perfusion, perfusion heterogeneity, and vascular compliance in patients with both exercise-induced and resting pulmonary hypertension using functional positron emission tomography imaging. Ultimately, if quantifiable differences between healthy subjects and patients with PAH are detected with 13NN and 11CO labeled PET, functional PET imaging may provide a useful imaging modality in early diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and monitoring response to therapy. In this pilot study, we will recruit 10 adult patients with pulmonary hypertension (5 with PAH and 5 with EIPAH) who are on stable PAH-specific therapy (if any), and 5 healthy controls. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
• Hypertension
• Hypertension, Pulmonary
• Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

• NCT number: NCT01461343
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: February 2013
• Completion date: March 15, 2018