Pulmonary tumors trigger pulmonary hypertension

Physicians are studying the connection between lung tumors and pulmonary hypertension

Researchers now attempted to elucidate why nearly half of all advanced lung cancer patients develop arterial pulmonary hypertension. They came to the conclusion that possibly caused by tumor cells immune and inflammatory processes could be the cause.

The scientists of the Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) and the internationally recognized Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim (MPI) found in their investigation that tumor cells apparently trigger immune and inflammatory processes, which then increased Lead to pulmonary hypertension. The experts published a press release on the results of their study.

Unfortunately, lung cancer ends fatally in many cases. Physicians found that lung tumors trigger pulmonary hypertension, leading to an additional health burden for those affected. (Image: lueringmedia - fotolia)

Physicians examined more than 500 participants for their study

When patients with lung cancer are in advanced disease, shortness of breath and shortness of breath are common. These health problems increase the suffering of the affected people even more. The cause of the additional problems could, according to the researchers, be so-called pulmonary hypertension. The scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research and the German Center for Lung Research came to this conclusion after examining more than 500 subjects.

Results could lead to a new therapy

The source of pulmonary hypertension could possibly be immune and inflammatory processes triggered by existing tumor cells. The results could in the future lead to a therapy being offered to treat these processes.

Lung cancer causes the majority of those affected to death

More and more people worldwide are suffering from lung cancer. Lung cancer is responsible for more than a quarter of all cancer deaths today, experts say. Unfortunately, this tendency is even increasing. For lung cancer, the prognosis is very poor. Only a small proportion (one fifth of all patients) of those affected live for another five years after the diagnosis. One reason for this is that lung cancer is often recognized only at an advanced stage. There are also a variety of different lung tumors, which is a big problem, because for all individual therapy concepts are necessary. However, such therapies require physicians to understand the tumor better.

Physicians examine the probands the diameter of the pulmonary arteries

Patients often develop shortness of breath and respiratory distress with the progression of lung cancer, say the physicians. These same symptoms also occur in diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension. For this reason, scientists analyzed the diameter of the pulmonary arteries in approximately 500 lung cancer patients. This was done with the help of a computed tomography.

More than half of all subjects had a thickening of the arterial walls of the pulmonary arteries

"In more than half of the patients, we found a thickening of the arterial walls of the pulmonary arteries. This is a clear indication that these patients additionally suffer from pulmonary hypertension, "says study leader Rajkumar Savai from the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research.

Three forms of lung cancer were studied

In searching for the cause, the experts looked at three different forms of lung cancer. The analyzes were performed on models with mice. "These were tumor types that grew at different rates and were experimentally triggered in the lungs of mice. All three mouse models showed signs of pulmonary hypertension in the course of tumor growth, "says lead author Soni Pullamsetti.

Blood vessels close to tumors had been infiltrated by many immune cells

Of course, the question arises as to why lung tumors often cause pulmonary hypertension. Examination of human patients as well as models with mice failed to detect any tumor cells or blood clots that migrated in the vessel wall. According to the physicians, these are both possible triggers for pulmonary hypertension. However, the scientists found that blood vessels located close to the tumors were infiltrated by a large number of immune cells.

Lung tumors cause inflammatory processes that lead to pulmonary hypertension

The immune cells release various messengers. However, this is not unusual, but generally observed in inflammatory reactions. However, the pulmonary hypertension did not occur if the mice lacked functioning immune cells during the examination. Such cells release different messenger substances. The researchers interpreted this as an indication that inflammatory processes caused by lung tumors could be responsible for pulmonary hypertension. "Previously unknown abnormalities in the blood vessels, triggered by inflammatory processes in the lung tumors could be the cause of the symptoms observed in patients," explains Werner Seeger, Director at the MPI and Director of the Medical Clinic at the University Hospital Giessen-Marburg. This finding could lead in the future to new therapeutic approaches, which extend the life expectancy of the patients concerned, so the hope of the experts. (As)