Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2013; 61(04): 307-311
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1337446
Original Cardiovascular
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in Lung in Patients with Congenital Heart Malformations and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Tsvetomir Loukanov
1   Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
,
Christoph Jaschinski
1   Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
,
Milen Kirilov
2   Department of Molecular Metabolic Control, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
,
Homa Klimpel
3   Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
,
Matthias Karck
1   Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
,
Matthias Gorenflo
3   Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

26 July 2012

21 December 2012

Publication Date:
16 May 2013 (online)

Abstract

Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a cause of morbidity in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). It has been hypothesized that prostanoides participate in the development of PAH. The aim of this study was to show the potential expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in patients with CHD and PAH.

Patients and Methods We included patients with isolated left-to-right shunts undergoing lung biopsy before or concomitantly with cardiac surgery between 2004 and 2009.

For determination of COX-2 expression, histological and immunohistochemistry analyses as well as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were performed.

Results We were able to show COX-2 protein overexpression in the lung tissue of children with CHD and PAH. Furthermore, we showed an increase in COX-1 gene expression and an even stronger induction of COX-2 by using qPCR and immunohistochemistry.

Conclusions We examined the expression of COX-2 in lung tissue from patients with CHD and PAH. We showed that COX-2 is expressed in diseased lung tissue, indicating a relationship between COX-2 and vascular remodeling in pulmonary arteries in CHD.

 
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