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Hassoun, Paul M.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0601-4975

Mayo Clinic

Johns Hopkins University

Citations 51

Endotypes of Vascular Health Predict Transplantation‐Free Survival in Pulmonary Hypertension
Farha, Samar , Hu, Bo , Chen, Ruoying, Barnard, John , Comhair, Suzy , Heresi, Gustavo A. , Parambil, Joseph, Tonelli, Adriano R. , Beck, Gerald J. , Rosenzweig, Erika B. , Finet, J. Emanuel , Grünig, Gabriele , Hill, Nicholas S. , Jellis, Christine , Park, Margaret , Rischard, Franz P., Olman, Mitchell A. , Erzurum, Serpil C. , Dweik, Raed A. , Group, the PVDOMICS Study, Heresi, Gustavo , Tonelli, Adriano , Beck, Gerald J , Rosenzweig, Erika B , DuBrock, Hilary M , Finet, J Emanuel , Frantz, Robert P , Hassoun, Paul M , Hemnes, Anna , Hill, Nicholas S , Horn, Evelyn M , Jellis, Christine L , Leopold, Jane A , Park, Margaret M , Simpson, Catherine E , Tang, W H Wilson , Erzurum, Serpil C , Dweik, Raed A , Barnard, John , Comhair, Suzy , Hu, Bo , Chen, Ruoying, Parambil, Joseph G. , DuBrock, Hilary M. , Frantz, Robert P. , Hassoun, Paul M. , Hemnes, Anna R. , Horn, Evelyn M. , Leopold, Jane A. , Rischard, Franz , Simpson, Catherine E. , Tang, W.H. Wilson , Group, The PVDOMICS Study

Journal of the American Heart Association | July 17, 2026 | Volume: 15 | Issue: 14 | Pages: No page available

10.1161/jaha.125.048795 Get It

Background The current classification of pulmonary hypertension (PH), based largely on expert opinion, has limitations in prognostication and guiding therapies. We hypothesize that novel PH clusters that predict survival will reveal mechanistic phenotypes associated with biomarkers of vascular health across all PH groups. Methods We first identify novel PH clinical clusters by performing unsupervised clustering analysis on the CC‐PH (Cleveland Clinic PH) registry (N=1529). We develop classification models to predict the new PH clusters and then apply them to the multicenter PVDOMICS (Pulmonary Vascular Diseases Phenomics) cohort (N=853) for validation. We compare transplantation‐free survival across the new PH clusters. We quantify metabolites of the arginine‐nitric oxide pathway and D‐dimer levels and calculate global arginine bioavailability (arginine/[ornithine+citrulline]) to assess endothelial function and activation in the new clusters and link these biomarkers to clinical outcomes. Results Clustering analysis identify 3 clear clusters in CC ‐ PH that are validated in PVDOMICS and outperform conventional classifications in predicting transplantation‐free survival. The phenotype associated with the worst survival is characterized by reduced lung diffusion capacity, decreased arginine bioavailability and nitrate levels, and elevated D‐dimer levels, consistent with loss of pulmonary microcirculation and endothelial dysfunction. Conclusions We identify new informative PH phenotypes associated with mortality and defined by biomarkers of endothelial function and activation. Loss of endothelial health and pronounced pulmonary vascular rarefication contribute more substantially to mortality across the spectrum of PH than right heart function. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT02980887.
Metabolomic Network Analysis Reveals Reorganization of Lipid and Steroid Programs Linked to Right Ventricular-Pulmonary Vascular Function in Pulmonary Hypertension
Clinton, Ivor, Coursen, Julie , Rosen, Darin , Suresh, Karthik , Balasubramanian, Aparna , Kolb, Todd M. , Damico, Rachel L. , Mathai, Stephen C. , Hsu, Steven , Mukherjee, Monica , Finet, J. Emanuel , Grünig, Gabriele , Rischard, Franz, Erzurum, Serpil C. , Beck, Gerald J. , Hill, Nicholas S. , Group, PVDOMICS Study, Clinton, Ivor W , Coursen, Julie C , Rosen, Darin T , Barnard, John , Hemnes, Anna , Leopold, Jane A , Horn, Evelyn M , Rosenzweig, Erika B , Frantz, Robert P , Erzurum, Serpil C , King, Wendy , Beck, Gerald J , Hill, Nicholas S , Hassoun, Paul M , Simpson, Catherine E , Mathai, Stephen C , Balasubramanian, Aparna , Mukherjee, Monica , Hsu, Steven , Barnard, John , Hemnes, Anna R. , Leopold, Jane A. , Horn, Evelyn M. , Rosenzweig, Erika B. , Rischard, Franz , Frantz, Robert P. , King, Wendy C. , Hassoun, Paul M. , Simpson, Catherine E. , Group, PVDOMICS Study

No container title available | June 22, 2026 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.64898/2026.06.16.732773 Get It

ABSTRACT Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by circulating metabolic alterations, but whether these reflect disease-specific metabolic programs or reorganization of normal metabolic architecture, and how they relate to right ventricular-pulmonary vascular function (RV-PV), remains unclear. We hypothesized that the PAH metabolome is organized into biologically coherent, co-regulated metabolic modules whose relationships to RV-PV function would provide insight into known and novel metabolic pathways. Methods We applied weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to untargeted metabolomic data from 412 PAH patients enrolled in the multicenter PVDOMICS study. Module preservation analysis was performed in 85 healthy controls, with external replication in an independent single-center pulmonary hypertension cohort of 89 patients. Results WGCNA identified 16 distinct metabolic modules organized around biologically coherent programs. A coherent fatty acid axis, spanning substrate pools, β-oxidation intermediates, and conjugated fatty acid disposal products, formed a central organizing structure, with downstream fatty acid oxidation modules strongly associated with adverse hemodynamics and worse RV-pulmonary artery (PA) coupling. Acylcholine-enriched and 5α-reduced androgen metabolite modules were associated with favorable hemodynamic indices. Module architecture was largely preserved in healthy controls, with subtle disease-associated modular reorganization, rather than emergence of novel modules, observed in PAH. Core modules were recovered in the replication cohort with conserved hub metabolites. Conclusions These findings establish a systems-level framework demonstrating that PAH involves structured intensification and reorganization of interconnected metabolic programs associated with favorable and adverse RV-PV phenotypes. This work provides new insight into the metabolic architecture underlying PAH and identifies coordinated metabolic pathways linked to pulmonary vascular and right ventricular function.
D28-19 Quality of Life in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Comparative Analysis of Patients With Insulin Resistance Versus Insulin Sensitivity
Gayner, A, Frantz, R P, Hassoun, P M, Horn, E, Leopold, J, Rischard, F P, Rosenzweig, E B, Hill, N S, Erzurum, S C, Hemnes, A, Al-Naamani, N, Frantz, Robert P. , Hassoun, Paul M. , Horn, E M, Leopold, Jane A. , Rischard, Franz , Rosenzweig, E.B., Hill, N S, Erzurum, S C, Hemnes, A R, Al‐Naamani, Nadine

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine | June 22, 2026 | Volume: 212 | Issue: Supplement_2 | Pages: No page available

10.1093/ajrccm/aamag286.299 Get It

Abstract Introduction Insulin resistance is prevalent in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and is associated with worse health outcomes. The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index as a measure of insulin resistance is superior to HOMA-IR in predicting metabolic syndrome. This study utilizes the Redefining Pulmonary Hypertension through Pulmonary Vascular Disease Phenomics (PVDOMICS) data registry to further examine the relationship between TyG index and reported quality of life (QOL) in patients with PAH. Methods 327 patients with a diagnosis of PAH in PVDOMICS were stratified into insulin resistant (IR) (TyG index >8.55) and insulin sensitive (IS) (TyG < 8.55) groups where TyG = (ln[triglyceride*glucose/2]. QOL measures assessed were the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure (MLHF) Physical and Emotional domain surveys, Short Form (36) (SF-36) Physical and Mental Component Health Surveys (PCS and MCS, respectively), and emPHasis-10 (E10). Reported measures between groups were compared using least squares means adjusted for age, sex, fat mass index (FMI), PAH etiology, 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) and NT-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP). Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for these same variables were performed to assess difference in survival between groups. Results 155 patients with PAH (47%) were classified as IR. Patients with IR were more likely to be female (79% vs 69%, p = 0.04), more likely to be non-Hispanic white, and less likely to be non-Hispanic Black (p = 0.045). There were no differences in age or etiology of PAH between groups. Patients with IR had higher body mass index (30.9 vs 27.3 kg/m2, p < 0.001) with higher FMI (16.2 vs 13.2 kg/m2, p < 0.001). Patients with IR were more likely to have diabetes mellitus (24% vs 11%, p = 0.004). Compared to their IS counterparts and after adjusting for possible confounders, patients with IR had higher (worse QOL) MLHF physical domain (p = 0.04), higher (worse QOL) emPhasis-10 scores (p = 0.03), and lower (worse QOL) SF36 physical component scores (p = 0.03) (Figure). IR and IS groups had no significant differences in the MLHF emotional domain and SF36 mental component scores. After multivariable adjustment, there was no difference in survival between groups (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.56-1.46). Conclusion Patients with PAH and IR had worse QOL compared to their IS counterparts but no difference in survival in this large prospective cohort. This abstract is funded by: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health grants K23HL 141584, R01 HL173533
Phenotypic Characterization of Unclassified Pulmonary Hypertension
Frantz, Robert P. , Egbe, Alexander C. , Miranda, William R. , Asokan, Aneesh K , Hassoun, Paul M. , Hemnes, Anna R. , Horn, Evelyn M. , Leopold, Jane A. , Rischard, Franz, Hill, Nicholas S. , Erzurum, Serpil C. , Finet, J. Emanuel , Nishimura, Rick , Frantz, Robert P , Egbe, Alexander C , Miranda, William R , Hassoun, Paul M , Hemnes, Anna , Horn, Evelyn M , Leopold, Jane A , Rosenzweig, Erika B , Hill, Nicholas S , Erzurum, Serpil C , Finet, J Emanuel , Mukherjee, Monica , Tang, W H Wilson , Borlaug, Barry A , Reddy, Yogesh N.V. , Rischard, Franz , Rosenzweig, Erika B. , Mukherjee, Monica , Tang, W.H. Wilson , Nair, K. Sreekumaran , Borlaug, Barry A.

Circulation: Heart Failure | June 19, 2026 | Volume: 19 | Issue: 7 | Pages: No page available

10.1161/circheartfailure.125.014480 Get It

BACKGROUND: Some symptomatic patients manifest pulmonary hypertension (PH), despite normal pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary artery wedge pressure—a condition termed unclassified PH. Although hypothesized to reflect increased flow as seen in congenital heart disease, broader clinical implications remain unknown. METHODS: The current analysis included pulmonary vascular disease phenomics participants with either no PH or unclassified PH who underwent dynamic right heart catheterization and transpulmonary metabolomics. In a validation cohort, patients with no PH or unclassified PH underwent exercise right heart catheterization. In exploratory cohorts to understand the impact of increased flow, the prevalence of unclassified PH was assessed in (1) adult congenital heart disease and (2) high output heart failure. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of unclassified PH in pulmonary vascular disease phenomics (n=1046) and the validation cohort (n=1202) was 7.8% (175/2248), which was comparable to the 6.6% (66/1005) prevalence in adult congenital heart disease (n=1005), and lower than high output heart failure (n=159, prevalence 14.5% [23/159]; P =0.006). Increased flow occurred in a minority of unclassified PH from both pulmonary vascular disease phenomics (28%; 15/53) and the validation cohort (11%; 13/122). Unclassified PH (n=53) was associated with greater adiposity, higher heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)–age, body mass index, atrial fibrillation score probability, and more left heart remodeling compared with those with no PH (n=216). Metabolomics revealed lower glycine metabolites in unclassified PH indicative of metabolic dysfunction. Left heart remodeling, quality of life, exercise capacity, and glycine levels were all abnormal in unclassified PH relative to healthy controls (n=96). In the validation cohort, pulmonary artery wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, and pulmonary artery compliance were subtly abnormal at rest in unclassified PH (n=122) compared with no PH (n=312). With exercise testing, 59% (72/122) with unclassified PH had exertional pulmonary artery wedge pressure elevation consistent with undiagnosed HFpEF. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of PH without obvious cause most often reflects subclinical left heart and metabolic dysfunction consistent with unrecognized early-stage HFpEF. Dynamic provocation during right heart catheterization can unmask unrecognized HFpEF in over half of unclassified PH, which may help guide appropriate initiation of proven HFpEF therapies to improve symptoms and functional status. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT02980887.
Resolving Diagnostic Discordance in Group 2 Pulmonary Hypertension Through Staged Physiologic Testing: Insights From PVDOMICS
Rischard, Franz , Mendoza, Mateo, Insel, M, Beck, Gerald J. , Erzurum, Serpil C. , Frantz, Robert P. , Finet, J. Emanuel , Hassoun, Paul M. , Hemnes, Anna R. , Hill, Nicholas S. , Group, the PVDOMICS Study, Rischard, Franz P , Horn, Evelyn M , Leopold, Jane A , Mathai, Stephen C , Mehra, Reena , Nishimura, Rick , Rosenzweig, Erika B , Systrom, David M , Tang, W H Wilson , Waxman, Aaron B. , Borlaug, Barry A , Frantz, Robert P , Hemnes, Anna , Hassoun, Paul M , Beck, Gerald J , Finet, J Emanuel , Mendoza, Mateo, Insel, Michael , Horn, Evelyn M. , Leopold, Jane A. , Mathai, Stephen C. , Mehra, Reena , Reddy, Yogesh N.V. , Rosenzweig, Erika B. , Tang, W.H. Wilson , Borlaug, Barry A. , Group, The PVDOMICS Study

No container title available | June 11, 2026 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.64898/2026.06.04.26354961 Get It

Abstract Background World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension (WSPH) Group 2 pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a clinically integrated phenotype attributed to left heart disease, whereas pre- versus post-capillary classification is operationalized primarily by pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). Although current recommendations emphasize contextual interpretation and provocative testing for intermediate PCWP values, the relationship between PCWP-based classification and underlying phenotype has not been systematically evaluated. We aim to quantify phenotype–hemodynamic discordance across the PCWP spectrum and evaluate a staged physiology-guided framework incorporating inhaled nitric oxide (iNO), ventricular geometry, and provocative testing. Methods We studied 1,032 participants from the NHLBI-sponsored PVDOMICS cohort with multidisciplinary adjudicated phenotypes integrating clinical, imaging, physiologic, and hemodynamic data. Stage-specific PCWP thresholds classified pre- versus post-capillary physiology at rest, during iNO, and during provocation (fluid challenge or invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing [iCPET]). Echocardiographic right ventricular-to-left ventricular (RV/LV) ratio was evaluated as a marker of ventricular interdependence. Restricted cubic spline and staged concordance analyses defined certainty-based PCWP ranges and incremental diagnostic yield. Results Adjudicated Group 2 PH was present in 37.0% of participants. Resting PCWP demonstrated good discrimination (AUC 0.86), but substantial bidirectional phenotype–hemodynamic discordance persisted across intermediate PCWP ranges. At a resting PCWP of 12 mmHg, 25% of participants classified as pre-capillary had adjudicated Group 2 PH, whereas at 18 mmHg, 35% classified as post-capillary remained discordant non–Group 2. Concordance did not approach 90% until PCWP values were <9 mmHg or >24 mmHg. Dynamic testing incrementally improved concordance within these overlap zones. Nearly half of adjudicated Group 2 PH participants (46.5%) were not identified by resting PCWP alone; incorporation of iNO and provocative testing increased cumulative Group 2 identification by 63.4% and improved sensitivity from 79.9% to 83.7%. Model discrimination improved from an AUC of 0.863 to 0.908 (likelihood-ratio P<0.001). iNO increased PCWP in discordant Pre/G2 participants, unmasking latent left-sided limitation, while lowering PCWP in discordant Post/NonG2 participants, consistent with ventricular interdependence. RV/LV ratio ≥0.94 reduced discordant Post/NonG2 classification by 70.5%, and incorporation of PCWP/cardiac output slope improved physiologic specificity during exercise. Conclusions Group 2 PH is a dynamic, load-dependent phenotype inadequately characterized by resting PCWP alone. Intermediate PCWP values represent continuous probabilities of bidirectional discordance rather than discrete diagnostic states. A staged physiology-guided approach integrating iNO, ventricular geometry, and provocative testing improves concordance between hemodynamic classification and clinically integrated phenotype assignment. Clinical Perspective What Is New? In the deeply phenotyped PVDOMICS cohort, resting pulmonary capillary wedge pressure demonstrated good overall discrimination for adjudicated Group 2 (left heart disease) pulmonary hypertension, yet intermediate values frequently either concealed latent left-heart disease or overclassified patients without intrinsic left-heart disease Resting pulmonary capillary wedge pressure should be viewed as a continuous probability signal rather than a binary threshold, allowing additional physiologic testing to be targeted according to the degree of diagnostic uncertainty a clinician is willing to accept. A staged physiology-guided approach incorporating inhaled nitric oxide, ventricular geometry, and provocative testing improved concordance with adjudicated PH category and pre or post-capillary classification. What Are the Clinical Implications? Pre- versus post-capillary classification should be interpreted within the broader clinical and physiologic context rather than relying on a single resting pulmonary capillary wedge pressure threshold. Intermediate pulmonary capillary wedge pressure values should prompt consideration of additional physiologic evaluation, with inhaled nitric oxide providing a practical intermediate step and provocative testing providing the greatest incremental diagnostic yield. Exercise pulmonary capillary wedge pressure/cardiac output slope and markers of ventricular interdependence may provide complementary information for resolving uncertainty when resting and dynamic hemodynamics are discordant.
D16-06 Metabolomic Profiling Differentiates PAH-like and ILD-like Phenotypes in Interstitial Lung Disease-related Pulmonary Hypertension
Khan, S L, Lammi, M R, Danoff, S K, Balasubramanian, A, Kolb, T M, Mukherjee, M, Finet, J, Grunig, G, Jellis, C L, Kwon, D, Mehra, R, Park, M M, Barnard, J, Comhair, S A, Hemnes, A R, Leopold, J A, Horn, E M, Rosenzweig, E Berman, Rischard, F P, Frantz, R P, Erzurum, S C, Tang, W, Beck, G J, Hill, N S, Hassoun, P M, Mathai, S C, Simpson, C, Group, The PVDOMICS Study, Mathai, Stephen C. , Mathai, Stephen C , Lammi, Matthew R. , Danoff, S.K., Balasubramanian, A, Kolb, T M, Finet, J. Emanuel , Grünig, Gabriele , Jellis, C.L., Kwon, D, Leopold, Jane A. , Rosenzweig, E.B., Rischard, Franz , Frantz, Robert P. , Hassoun, Paul M.

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine | May 18, 2026 | Volume: 212 | Issue: Supplement_1 | Pages: No page available

10.1093/ajrccm/aamag162.5877 Get It

Abstract Introduction Interstitial lung disease-associated pulmonary hypertension (ILD-PH) is a clinically challenging entity that lies on a pathophysiologic spectrum between pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). We compared the metabolomes of patients with ILD-PH to those with PAH and ILD to characterize the PAH-ILD axis and determine whether ILD-PH patients can be phenotyped based on their metabolomic similarity to PAH. Methods Using untargeted metabolomics profiles from patients with PAH, ILD, and ILD-PH in the large, U.S.-based, NIH-funded, multi-center PVDOMICS cohort, we trained an anchor-based classifier on PAH and ILD metabolomes using supervised PLS-DA with a 75/25 train/test split. Primary and secondary PH or risk-group classifications in PVDOMICS were based on expert adjudication of clinical data including right heart catheterization hemodynamics, pulmonary function testing, chest imaging, and laboratory results. We then applied the trained model to each ILD-PH patient to assign a PAH similarity score. We classified patients as having a PAH-like or ILD-like metabolomic phenotype using an optimal PAH similarity score cutoff of 0.5 then compared PAH metabolomic similarity to expert-adjudicated primary and secondary WSPH classifications in PVDOMICS. We implemented FELLA, a network-based metabolomics enrichment method, to holistically characterize the biologic underpinnings of PAH, ILD-PH, and ILD metabolomes. Results We analyzed 244 patients with PAH, 54 with ILD, and 47 with ILD-PH. The anchor-based classifier demonstrated high train-test performance with a c-statistic of 0.81 and 78% agreement with expert-adjudicated diagnoses. Among the ILD-PH patients, 23 were classified as PAH-like and 24 as ILD-like (74% agreement with expert adjudication, Cohen’s kappa 0.49, Hedge’s g estimate of 0.86). FELLA enrichment revealed core glycolytic and bioenergetic pathways were enriched in both pure PAH and ILD-PH. Comparison of diffusion Z-scores between groups demonstrated subtle but biologically coherent differences in several reaction-level nodes, including lactate, NADPH oxidoreductase, and phosphofructokinase, which were enriched in ILD-PH. Conclusion Patients with ILD-PH demonstrate clinically relevant metabolomic phenotypes. Examination of the network biology underlying ILD-PH may point to potential therapeutic targets in this vulnerable subgroup with lagging clinical outcomes. This abstract is funded by: Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation PFF Scholars Program
C18-09 Prevalence and Impact of Liver Injury Across the Spectrum of Pulmonary Hypertension
Dubrock, H M, Frantz, R P, Beck, G J, Rosenzweig, E B, Erzurum, S C, Finet, J, Hassoun, P M, Hemnes, A R, Hill, N S, Horn, E M, Leopold, J A, Mathai, S C, Mukherjee, M, Rischard, F P, Borlaug, B, Reddy, Y N V, Group, PVDOMICS Study, Mathai, Stephen C. , Mathai, Stephen C , DuBrock, Hilary M. , Frantz, Robert P. , Rosenzweig, E.B., Finet, J. Emanuel , Hassoun, Paul M. , Leopold, Jane A. , Rischard, Franz , Borlaug, Barry A. , Reddy, Yogesh N.V. , Group, PVDOMICS Study

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine | May 18, 2026 | Volume: 212 | Issue: Supplement_1 | Pages: No page available

10.1093/ajrccm/aamag162.5761 Get It

Abstract Rationale The pathophysiology and clinical impact of liver injury in pulmonary hypertension (PH) is poorly understood. Liver injury in PH is often attributed to hepatic congestion, but some studies have failed to find strong associations with hemodynamics, suggesting alternative mechanisms. We sought to define the prevalence of liver injury and patterns of liver injury across the spectrum of PH and to determine whether patterns of liver injury were associated with clinical characteristics, hemodynamics and outcomes. Methods We performed an analysis of the PVDOMICS study, a multicenter, prospective, longitudinal cohort study that enrolled incident and prevalent patients with PH and disease comparators. The prevalence of liver injury, defined as aspartate or alanine aminotransferase (AST or ALT) or total bilirubin above the upper limit of normal, and different patterns of liver injury [hepatocellular (elevated AST or ALT with normal bilirubin), cholestatic (elevated bilirubin) and no liver injury] was defined among participants with known or suspected PH. Associations between patterns of liver injury with demographics, hemodynamics, right ventricular function, exercise capacity and quality of life (QoL) were assessed. We used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age and sex to assess the association of liver injury patterns with transplant-free survival. Results Liver injury was present in 27.8% (288/1036) of participants (19.0% cholestatic and 8.8% hepatocellular). Patients with liver injury were less likely to be female and have prevalent disease with differences in PH classification (Table 1). Patients with hepatocellular liver injury had a higher body mass index. A cholestatic liver injury pattern was most consistently associated with worse functional class, biventricular filling pressures, pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular function, natriuretic peptide elevation, exercise capacity, and REVEAL risk scores. Total bilirubin levels and right atrial pressure as a marker of systemic congestion were weakly correlated (r2=0.02, p &lt; 0.0001). Compared to no liver injury, cholestatic liver injury was associated with an increased risk of death in age and sex adjusted models (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-2.1, p &lt; 0.001) but hepatocellular liver injury was not (p &gt; 0.05). Conclusions Liver injury is common among patients with known or suspected PH. In contrast to a hepatocellular injury pattern, a cholestatic liver injury pattern was most consistently associated with worse hemodynamics, exercise capacity, QoL and survival. However, the weak relationship between right atrial pressure and bilirubin suggests that systemic congestion alone is unlikely to completely explain cholestatic liver injury. Further study is needed to uncouple the pathophysiological basis of cholestasis in PH. This abstract is funded by: NHLBI
B106-12 Characteristics and Survival in Severely Dilated Pulmonary Artery Size in Pulmonary Hypertension
Ray, D N, Couch, T J, Beck, G J, Rosenzweig, E B, Carr, J J, Erzurum, S C, Frantz, R P, Hassoun, P M, Hill, N S, Horn, E M, Lempel, J K, Leopold, J A, Mukherjee, M, Nian, H, Rischard, F P, Schwalbach, K T, Terry, J G, Hemnes, A R, Group, The PVDOMICS Study, Ray, David N, Rosenzweig, E.B., Carr, J. Jeffrey , Frantz, Robert P. , Hassoun, Paul M. , Lempel, Jason K. , Leopold, Jane A. , Mukherjee, M, Rischard, Franz , Schwalbach, Kevin T. , Hemnes, Anna R.

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine | May 18, 2026 | Volume: 212 | Issue: Supplement_1 | Pages: No page available

10.1093/ajrccm/aamag162.5743 Get It

Abstract Rationale Prior studies demonstrate pulmonary artery (PA) enlargement on computed tomography (CT) in pulmonary hypertension (PH). Some patients exhibit markedly enlarged or “aneurysmal” PA dilation, but its clinical relevance remains unclear. We aimed to characterize clinical characteristics, hemodynamics, and survival probability of patients with aneurysmal PA size. Methods Demographics, clinical characteristics, and CT imaging were obtained for individuals with group 1 or 2 PH and matched controls in the Pulmonary Vascular Disease Phenomics cohort. PA diameter was measured using Osirix software. PA diameter was categorized based on previously reported values as normal (&lt;27 mm [females], &lt;29 mm [males]), enlarged (27-39 mm [females], 29-39 mm [males]), or aneurysmal (≥40 mm). Outcomes included mean PA pressure (mPAP) on right heart catheterization (RHC) and time to death or heart/lung transplant. Associations with mortality and mPAP were evaluated using multivariable Cox and linear regression models, adjusting for age, sex, and BMI. Descriptive statistics are presented as median [IQR]. Results 690 subjects met the inclusion criteria for survival analysis (364 WSPH group 1 or matched comparator, 241 group 2 or comparator, 85 healthy control), with 594 undergoing RHC. PA diameter was normal in 163 participants, enlarged in 414, and aneurysmal in 113. Aneurysmal PA, compared with normal or enlarged PA, was associated with younger age (53 ± 14 vs 55 ± 16 and 59 ± 15 years, respectively; p &lt; 0.001), non-White race (18.9% vs 8% and 17.2%; p = 0.034), pro-BNP (1950 ± 5708 vs 531 ±1651 and 110 ± 2258 pg/mL; p &lt; 0.001), PH duration (6.78 ± 6.86 vs 2.24 ± 4.39 and 3.82 ± 5.47 years; p &lt; 0.001), group 1 disease (77% vs 37% and 61%), and congenital heart disease (CHD)-PAH (10.6% vs 0.0% and 4.8%, p &lt; 0.001). Aneurysmal PA subjects had higher mPAP (46 [36-57] vs 19 [16- 25] and 35 [28-47] mmHg, p &lt; 0.001), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) (5.5 [3.6-9.4] vs 1.7 [1.0-2.3] and 4.1 [2.4-7.1] Woods units, p &lt; 0.001), cardiac index (CI; 2.73 [2.34-3.29] vs 2.55 [2.13-2.98] and 2.52 [2.12-3.10] L/min/m2, p &lt; 0.02) and likelihood of death or transplant (p &lt; 0.001; Figure 1). Conclusion “Aneurysmal” PA was more common in younger, non-White subjects with longer WSPH group 1 disease duration, CHD, and higher pro-BNP levels. Aneurysmal PA was associated with elevated mPAP, PVR, and CI, and reduced likelihood of survival. These findings highlight the need to further elucidate the pathophysiology and prognostic implications of aneurysmal PA remodeling in PH. This abstract is funded by: NHLBI and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association
B106-01 Pulmonary Artery Imaging Changes in Group 3 Pulmonary Hypertension Differ by Etiology of Chronic Lung Disease
Couch, T J, Beck, G J, Rosenzweig, E Berman, Carr, J J, Erzurum, S C, Frantz, R P, Hassoun, P M, Hill, N S, Horn, E M, Lempel, J K, Leopold, J A, Mukherjee, M, Nian, H, Ray, D N, Rischard, F P, Schwalbach, K T, Terry, J G, Hemnes, A R, Group, The PVDOMICS Study, Rosenzweig, E.B., Carr, J. Jeffrey , Frantz, Robert P. , Hassoun, Paul M. , Lempel, Jason K. , Leopold, Jane A. , Mukherjee, M, Ray, David N, Rischard, Franz , Schwalbach, Kevin T. , Hemnes, Anna R.

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine | May 18, 2026 | Volume: 212 | Issue: Supplement_1 | Pages: No page available

10.1093/ajrccm/aamag162.5733 Get It

Abstract Background We recently reported a strong association between CT markers of pulmonary artery (PA) dilation and mean PA pressure (mPAP) in subjects with World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension (WSPH) group 1 and 2 pulmonary hypertension (PH). The relationship between PA size and mPAP in subjects with WSPH group 3 PH, in which parenchymal changes may influence PA dilation, remains uncertain. We sought to investigate this relationship in subjects with and without PH who have significant parenchymal pulmonary disease or hypoxia. Methods We measured PA diameter and PA:aorta (PA:A) ratio on CT for all subjects with WSPH group 3 PH, matched disease comparators, and healthy controls in the Pulmonary Vascular Disease Phenomics (PVDOMICS) cohort. PH and comparator subjects were categorized by group 3 etiology into obstructive (including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis), interstitial (including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, unspecified interstitial lung disease, combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema, and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis), and non-parenchymal (including obesity hypoventilation syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and extrinsic restrictive disease) subgroups. Primary outcome was mPAP on right heart catheterization (RHC). Association with mPAP was evaluated using multivariable linear regression adjusted for age, sex, and BMI. Results 339 subjects met inclusion criteria (101 WSPH group 3 PH, 153 disease comparators, 85 healthy controls). 83 subjects had obstructive disease, 125 had interstitial disease, and 46 had non-parenchymal disease. PA diameter and PA:A were associated with mPAP in all subjects and in each subgroup (p &lt; 0.001; see figure 1). The association was notably stronger in the non-parenchymal group (ρ = 0.707 for diameter, 0.750 for PA:A) compared to obstructive (ρ = 0.566 for diameter, 0.529 for PA:A) and interstitial (ρ = 0.432 for diameter, 0.373 for PA:A) groups. Change in PA size between 25th and 75th percentile mPAP was lower in the interstitial group (3.88 mm, ratio 0.12) than in the obstructive (4.88 mm, ratio 0.17) and non-parenchymal (4.80 mm, ratio 0.19) groups (see figure 1). Conclusions PA size on CT is associated with mPAP in subjects with chronic lung disease with and without PH. This association is strongest in subjects without parenchymal lung disease but with features of hypercarbia or hypoxia alone. These data suggest that features of parenchymal lung disease in certain patients may limit expected PA dilation in response to elevated PA pressures. Further study is needed regarding the implications of these findings for early identification of PH in patients with chronic lung disease. This abstract is funded by: The NHLBI and Pulmonary Hypertension Association
A107-05 Pseudogene Transcripts Associated With Pulmonary Hypertension Identified in the RNA Sequencing Study From the PVDOMICS Cohort
Grunig, G, Kim, R, Kwon, S, Berman-Rosenzweig, E, Horn, E M, Leopold, J A, Hassoun, P M, Mathai, S C, Simpson, C, Mehra, R, Aldred, M, Frantz, R P, Rischard, F P, Hemnes, A R, Beck, G J, Hill, N S, Erzurum, S C, Comhair, S A, Barnard, J, Mathai, Stephen C. , Mathai, Stephen C , Grünig, Gabriele , Rosenzweig, Erika B. , Leopold, Jane A. , Hassoun, Paul M. , Aldred, Micheala A. , Frantz, Robert P. , Rischard, Franz , Beck, G J, Comhair, S A, Barnard, J

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine | May 18, 2026 | Volume: 212 | Issue: Supplement_1 | Pages: No page available

10.1093/ajrccm/aamag162.5618 Get It

Abstract Rationale Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a heterogeneous condition classified into 5 WSPH groups but lacking detailed molecular distinction. The PVDOMICS cohort includes all PH groups alongside healthy and disease comparators, is deeply clinically phenotyped and has RNA sequencing data. Pseudogenes are conserved genome elements that due to sequence-defects cannot be translated into functional proteins. Some pseudogenes never-the-less produce RNA-transcripts which can regulate the expression of other, protein coding genes. Therefore, our study was focused on identifying differentially expressed pseudogene-transcripts within the dataset from the PVDOMICS study and gaining insights into their potential function. Methods Peripheral venous whole blood was collected from PVDOMICS participants [n = 525 PH patients; n = 312 controls without PH who were comparators (n = 256) or healthy (n = 56)]. RNA was isolated, RNA sequencing was performed. After quality control, differential transcript expression between PH and control groups was analyzed using the limma-voom pipeline, rSEA with adjustment for age, sex, race, smoking, WSPH group, latent factors and false discovery rate. We focused on a) transcripts expressed at increased levels (n = 218): the first 200 DEG (differentially-expressed-genes)-transcripts based on log2 difference plus increased DEG within the first 200 most significant p-values; and b) transcripts expressed at decreased levels (n = 292): last 200 DEG based on log2 difference plus decreased DEG within the first 200 most significant p-values. Results Six pseudogene transcripts were among the increased and 35 pseudogene transcripts were among the decreased DEG in the PH group compared to controls. Some of the differentially expressed pseudogenes (DEP) belonged to gene families, like the ribosomal protein family (7 DEP), mitochondria expressed transcripts (3 DEP), zinc finger proteins (2 DEP). Associations of pseudogenes with biological function or disease were extracted via GeneCards(R) and information from GWAS analysis. The DUSP8P5 pseudogene was among the DEP and is known for its association with left heart disease and hypertension; 2 additional DEP have known association with hypertension. Further known associations were with inhibitory or inflammatory immune processes (8 DEP), bone density (6 DEP), metabolism and diabetes (6 DEP), respiratory function or disease (4 DEP), erythrocyte biology (3 DEP), cancer (5 DEP), kidney disease (1 DEP), and demographic parameters like eye or hair color (2 DEP). Ten DEP had no known association with function or disease. Conclusions We identified pseudogene RNA-transcripts associated with PH across WSPH groups. The local vs. systemic effects of these pseudogene transcripts on PH remain to be determined and regulators of pseudogene-transcript expression (e.g. environmental exposures) identified. This abstract is funded by: 1 X01 HL148611 (TopMed), PVDOMICS NHLBI, PVDOMICS Pulmonary Hypertension Association, HT9425-25-1-0533 (GG), 1R21OH012955-01 (GG)