Estrogen Metabolite 16α-Hydroxyestrone Exacerbates Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptor Type II-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Through MicroRNA-29-Mediated Modulation of Cellular Metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a proliferative disease of the pulmonary vasculature that preferentially affects women. Estrogens such as the metabolite 16α-hydroxyestrone (16αOHE) may contribute to PAH pathogenesis, and alterations in cellular energy metabolism associate with PAH. We hypothesized that 16αOHE promotes heritable PAH (HPAH) via microRNA-29 (miR-29) family upregulation and that antagonism of miR-29 would attenuate pulmonary hypertension in transgenic mouse models of Bmpr2 mutation. METHODS AND RESULTS: MicroRNA array profiling of human lung tissue found elevation of microRNAs associated with energy metabolism, including the miR-29 family, among HPAH patients. miR-29 expression was 2-fold higher in Bmpr2 mutant mice lungs at baseline compared with controls and 4 to 8-fold higher in Bmpr2 mice exposed to 16αOHE 1.25 µg/h for 4 weeks. Blot analyses of Bmpr2 mouse lung protein showed significant reductions in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ and CD36 in those mice exposed to 16αOHE and protein derived from HPAH lungs compared with controls. Bmpr2 mice treated with anti-miR-29 (20-mg/kg injections for 6 weeks) had improvements in hemodynamic profile, histology, and markers of dysregulated energy metabolism compared with controls. Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells derived from Bmpr2 murine lungs demonstrated mitochondrial abnormalities, which improved with anti-miR-29 transfection in vitro; endothelial-like cells derived from HPAH patient induced pluripotent stem cell lines were similar and improved with anti-miR-29 treatment. CONCLUSIONS: 16αOHE promotes the development of HPAH via upregulation of miR-29, which alters molecular and functional indexes of energy metabolism. Antagonism of miR-29 improves in vivo and in vitro features of HPAH and reveals a possible novel therapeutic target.

Loss-of-function thrombospondin-1 mutations in familial pulmonary hypertension.

Most patients with familial pulmonary arterial hypertension (FPAH) carry mutations in the bone morphogenic protein receptor 2 gene (BMPR2). Yet carriers have only a 20% risk of disease, suggesting that other factors influence penetrance. Thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) regulates activation of TGF-ß and inhibits endothelial and smooth muscle cell proliferation, pathways coincidentally altered in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). To determine whether a subset of FPAH patients also have mutations in the TSP1 gene (THBS1) we resequenced the type I repeats of THBS1 encoding the TGF-ß regulation and cell growth inhibition domains in 60 FPAH probands, 70 nonfamilial PAH subjects, and in large control groups. We identified THBS1 mutations in three families: a novel missense mutation in two (Asp362Asn), and an intronic mutation in a third (IVS8+255 G/A). Neither mutation was detected in population controls. Mutant 362Asn TSP1 had less than half of the ability of wild-type TSP1 to activate TGF-ß. Mutant 362Asn TSP1 also lost the ability to inhibit growth of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells and was over threefold less effective at inhibiting endothelial cell growth. The IVS8+255 G/A mutation decreased and/or eliminated local binding of the transcription factors SP1 and MAZ but did not affect RNA splicing. These novel mutations implicate THBS1 as a modifier gene in FPAH. These THBS1 mutations have implications in the genetic evaluation of FPAH patients. However, since FPAH is rare, these data are most relevant as evidence for the importance of TSP1 in pulmonary vascular homeostasis. Further examination of THBS1 in the pathogenesis of PAH is warranted.

Truncating and missense BMPR2 mutations differentially affect the severity of heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Autosomal dominant inheritance of germline mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 (BMPR2) gene are a major risk factor for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). While previous studies demonstrated a difference in severity between BMPR2 mutation carriers and noncarriers, it is likely disease severity is not equal among BMPR2 mutations. We hypothesized that patients with missense BMPR2 mutations have more severe disease than those with truncating mutations. METHODS: Testing for BMPR2 mutations was performed in 169 patients with PAH (125 with a family history of PAH and 44 with sporadic disease). Of the 106 patients with a detectable BMPR2 mutation, lymphocytes were available in 96 to functionally assess the nonsense-mediated decay pathway of RNA surveillance. Phenotypic characteristics were compared between BMPR2 mutation carriers and noncarriers, as well as between those carriers with a missense versus truncating mutation. RESULTS: While there was a statistically significant difference in age at diagnosis between carriers and noncarriers, subgroup analysis revealed this to be the case only for females. Among carriers, there was no difference in age at diagnosis, death, or survival according to exonic location of the BMPR2 mutation. However, patients with missense mutations had statistically significant younger ages at diagnosis and death, as well as shorter survival from diagnosis to death or lung transplantation than those with truncating mutations. Consistent with this data, the majority of missense mutations were penetrant prior to age 36 years, while the majority of truncating mutations were penetrant after age 36 years. CONCLUSION: In this cohort, BMPR2 mutation carriers have more severe PAH disease than noncarriers, but this is only the case for females. Among carriers, patients with missense mutations that escape nonsense-mediated decay have more severe disease than those with truncating mutations. These findings suggest that treatment and prevention strategies directed specifically at BMPR2 pathway defects may need to vary according to the type of mutation.

BMPR2 mutations and survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension: an individual participant data meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in the gene encoding the bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II (BMPR2) are the commonest genetic cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, the effect of BMPR2 mutations on clinical phenotype and outcomes remains uncertain. METHODS: We analysed individual participant data of 1550 patients with idiopathic, heritable, and anorexigen-associated PAH from eight cohorts that had been systematically tested for BMPR2 mutations. The primary outcome was the composite of death or lung transplantation. All-cause mortality was the secondary outcome. Hazard ratios (HRs) for death or transplantation and all-cause mortality associated with the presence of BMPR2 mutation were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models stratified by cohort. FINDINGS: Overall, 448 (29%) of 1550 patients had a BMPR2 mutation. Mutation carriers were younger at diagnosis (mean age 35·4 [SD 14·8] vs 42·0 [17·8] years), had a higher mean pulmonary artery pressure (60·5 [13·8] vs 56·4 [15·3] mm Hg) and pulmonary vascular resistance (16·6 [8·3] vs 12·9 [8·3] Wood units), and lower cardiac index (2·11 [0·69] vs 2·51 [0·92] L/min per m(2); all p<0·0001). Patients with BMPR2 mutations were less likely to respond to acute vasodilator testing (3% [10 of 380] vs 16% [147 of 907]; p<0·0001). Among the 1164 individuals with available survival data, age-adjusted and sex-adjusted HRs comparing BMPR2 mutation carriers with non-carriers were 1·42 (95% CI 1·15-1·75; p=0·0011) for the composite of death or lung transplantation and 1·27 (1·00-1·60; p=0·046) for all-cause mortality. These HRs were attenuated after adjustment for potential mediators including pulmonary vascular resistance, cardiac index, and vasoreactivity. HRs for death or transplantation and all-cause mortality associated with BMPR2 mutation were similar in men and women, but higher in patients with a younger age at diagnosis (p=0·0030 for death or transplantation, p=0·011 for all-cause mortality). INTERPRETATION: Patients with PAH and BMPR2 mutations present at a younger age with more severe disease, and are at increased risk of death, and death or transplantation, compared with those without BMPR2 mutations. FUNDING: Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, INSERM, Université Paris-Sud, Intermountain Research and Medical Foundation, Vanderbilt University, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Beijing Natural Science Foundation.

Elevation of plasma cell-free hemoglobin in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

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 healthy subjects, and 29 patients with pulmonary venous hypertension (PVH). CFH values were tested for association with hemodynamics, time to hospitalization, and death. RESULTS: CFH was elevated in patients with PAH and BMPR2 carriers compared with healthy subjects and patients with PVH (P ≤ .01 all comparisons). There were no differences in CFH across PAH subtypes. CFH modestly correlated with mean pulmonary artery pressure (ρ = 0.16, P = .03) and pulmonary vascular resistance (ρ = 0.21, P = .01) and inversely with cardiac index (ρ = -0.18, P = .02) in patients with PAH. CFH was not associated with hemodynamic response to nitric oxide or death. Patients with the highest CFH levels had increased risk of PAH-related hospitalization when adjusted for age, sex, and PAH cause (hazard ratio, 1.69; 95% CI ,1.08-2.66; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: CFH is elevated in patients with PAH and BMPR2 carriers compared with healthy subjects and patients with PVH. Elevated CFH levels are independently associated with an increased risk of hospitalization. Further study is required to understand the mechanism of CFH elevation and the potential pathologic contribution of CFH in PAH.

Prostanoids but not oral therapies improve right ventricular function in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: This study hypothesized that right ventricular stroke work index (RVSWI) and pulmonary capacitance (PC) would increase after treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and that prostanoids would have a stronger effect than oral therapy. BACKGROUND: Right ventricular (RV) function is a major determinant of outcome in patients with PAH. Little is known about the response of RV function or its hemodynamic determinants to PAH-specific therapy. METHODS: We reviewed hemodynamic and health data on 58 patients from an institutional registry and analyzed changes in hemodynamic status between diagnostic and first repeat catheterization after initiation of therapy for PAH. RESULTS: The RVSWI and PC increased significantly after therapy (p = 0.007 and p = 0.02, respectively). Improvement in RV function was limited to patients treated with prostanoid-only therapy (p = 0.04); no improvement was found in patients treated with oral therapy (p = 0.25). Patients with the poorest baseline RV function (lowest tertile) had the greatest improvement post-therapy (p = 0.005 and p < 0.001 vs. middle and highest tertiles). The major determinant of RVSWI was change in stroke volume (r(s) = 0.54, p < 0.001), indicating RVSWI is an accurate reflection of RV function. CONCLUSIONS: Right ventricular function improves after therapy with regimens including prostanoids but not oral-only regimens. Patients with the least compensated RV function at diagnosis might derive the most benefit from therapy. Larger studies are needed to determine whether changes in RVSWI after therapy are associated with outcomes.

Shorter survival in familial versus idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension is associated with hemodynamic markers of impaired right ventricular function.

Abstract Although individuals with familial pulmonary arterial hypertension (FPAH) have more severe hemodynamics, compared to individuals with idiopathic PAH (IPAH), it is unclear whether this translates into a survival difference. The influence of right ventricular (RV) function on survival in these groups is also unknown. We reviewed hemodynamic data and health information from a prospective institutional database of 57 FPAH and 66 IPAH patients registered with the Vanderbilt Pulmonary Hypertension Research Cohort. We compared hemodynamics at the time of diagnosis between the two groups and calculated pulmonary arteriolar capacitance (PC) and RV stroke work index (RVSWI). Using survival analysis, we compared freedom from a 5-year composite of death or lung transplantation in FPAH and IPAH patients. The composite outcome of death or transplant at 5 years from diagnosis was significantly increased in FPAH (log rank [Formula: see text]). PC and RVSWI were significantly decreased in FPAH, compared to IPAH ([Formula: see text] for both). In univariate analysis, PC (odds ratio [OR]: 0.17 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.03-0.83]) and RVSWI (OR: 0.86 [95% CI: 0.77-0.95]) were predictors of mortality, as were cardiac index (OR: 0.17 [95% CI: 0.06-0.51]) and PVR (OR: 1.1 [95% CI: 1.01-1.12]). Among FPAH patients, RVSWI was lower in those who died or received a transplant than in survivors ([Formula: see text]), while PC was not ([Formula: see text]). We found significantly worse event-free survival and significantly lower PC and RVSWI in FPAH than in IPAH. In FPAH patients who died or underwent transplantation, RVSWI was lower than that in survivors, suggesting disproportionate RV dysfunction.

Tenascin-C is induced by mutated BMP type II receptors in familial forms of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Familial forms of human pulmonary arterial hypertension (FPAH) have been linked to mutations in bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type II receptors (BMPR2s), yet the downstream targets of these receptors remain obscure. Here we show that pulmonary vascular lesions from patients harboring BMPR2 mutations express high levels of tenascin-C (TN-C), an extracellular matrix glycoprotein that promotes pulmonary artery (PA) smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation. To begin to define how TN-C is regulated, PA SMCs were cultured from normal subjects and from those with FPAH due to BMPR2 mutations. FPAH SMCs expressed higher levels of TN-C than normal SMCs. Similarly, expression of Prx1, a factor that drives TN-C transcription, was elevated in FPAH vascular lesions and SMCs derived thereof. Furthermore, Prx1 and TN-C promoter activities were significantly higher in FPAH vs. normal SMCs. To delineate how BMPR2s control TN-C, we focused on receptor (R)-Smads, downstream effectors activated by wild-type BMPR2s. Nuclear localization and phosphorylation of R-Smads was greater in normal vs. FPAH SMCs. As well, indirect blockade of R-Smad signaling with a kinase-deficient BMP receptor Ib upregulated TN-C in normal SMCs. Because ERK1/2 MAPKs inhibit the transcriptional activity of R-Smads, and because ERK1/2 promotes TN-C transcription, we determined whether ERK1/2 inhibits R-Smad signaling in FPAH SMCs and whether this activity is required for TN-C transcription. Indeed, ERK1/2 activity was greater in FPAH SMCs, and inhibition of ERK1/2 resulted in nuclear localization of R-Smads and inhibition of TN-C. These studies define a novel signaling network relevant to PAH underscored by BMPR2 mutations.

High frequency of BMPR2 exonic deletions/duplications in familial pulmonary arterial hypertension.

RATIONALE: Previous studies have shown that approximately 55% of patients with familial pulmonary arterial hypertension (FPAH) have BMPR2 coding sequence mutations. However, direct sequencing does not detect other types of heterozygous mutations, such as exonic deletions/duplications. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the frequency of BMPR2 exonic deletions/duplications in FPAH. METHODS: BMPR2 mRNA from lymphoblastoid cell lines of 30 families with PAH and 14 patients with idiopathic PAH (IPAH) was subjected to reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and sequencing. Sequencing of genomic DNA was used to identify point mutations in splice donor/acceptor sites. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was used to detect exonic deletions/duplications with verification by real-time PCR. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Eleven (37%) patients with FPAH had abnormally sized RT-PCR products. Four of the 11 patients were found to have splice-site mutations resulting in aberrant splicing, and exonic deletions/duplications were detected in the remaining seven patients. MLPA identified three deletions/duplications that were not detectable by RT-PCR. Coding sequence point mutations were identified in 11 of 30 (37%) patients. Mutations were identified in 21 of 30 (70%) patients with FPAH, with 10 of 21 mutations (48%) being exonic deletions/duplications. Two of 14 (14%) patients with IPAH exhibited BMPR2 point mutations, whereas none showed exonic deletions/duplications. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that BMPR2 exonic deletions/duplications in patients with FPAH account for a significant proportion of mutations (48%) that until now have not been screened for. Because the complementary approach used in this study is rapid and cost effective, screening for BMPR2 deletions/duplications by MLPA and real-time PCR should accompany direct sequencing in all PAH testing.

Serotonin transporter polymorphisms in familial and idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

RATIONALE: Serotonin is a pulmonary vasoconstrictor and smooth muscle cell mitogen. The serotonin transporter (SERT) is abundant in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle. Compared with the short (S) allele, the long (L) SERT promoter allele is associated with increased SERT transcription and more severe pulmonary hypertension in a cohort of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and was more prevalent in a cohort with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), compared with control subjects. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that the SERT L allele would associate with an earlier age at diagnosis and/or shorter survival interval in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) than the S allele. METHODS: SERT promoters from 166 familial PAH (FPAH), 83 IPAH, and 125 control subjects were sequenced. One hundred twenty-seven of the patients with FPAH had a known mutation in bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2). RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 35.8 yr in patients with FPAH and 41.1 yr in patients with IPAH (p = 0.02). There were no significant differences in distribution of the LL, LS, or SS genotypes in IPAH, FPAH, or unaffected BMPR2 mutation carriers. In FPAH, the LL genotype was associated with an earlier age at diagnosis (p < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with IPAH, these SERT genotypes do not correlate with age at diagnosis or survival interval. In patients with FPAH, the LL genotype correlates with an earlier age at diagnosis than SL or SS, although survival among the groups was similar. The correlation of the SERT promoter polymorphism with age at diagnosis in FPAH suggests a possible relationship between the SERT and BMPR2.

Gross BMPR2 gene rearrangements constitute a new cause for primary pulmonary hypertension.

PURPOSE: Approximately 50% of patients with familial primary pulmonary hypertension (FPPH) have been reported to have mutations within the bone morphogenic protein receptor type 2 (BMPR2) gene. The vast majority of these mutations were identified by PCR amplification and sequencing of individual exons. The aim of our study was to determine if additional BMPR2 mutations not found by exon sequencing alone could account for a significant portion of these negative cases. METHODS: We examined DNA samples from 12 families, previously found to be negative for BMPR2 mutations, to identify any large BMPR2 gene rearrangements. RESULTS: Southern blot analysis found large gene rearrangements in four (33%) unrelated kindreds. Further analysis by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) of BMPR2 transcripts from two of these kindreds found one to be heterozygous for a exon 10 duplication and the second to be heterozygous for a deletion of exons 4 to 5. Nonhomologous recombination is believed to be the cause of these large insertions/deletions. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate the inherent problems associated with exon-by-exon sequencing and the importance of other screening methods such as Southern blot and RT-PCR in the identification of BMPR2 mutations.