Endothelin-1 Levels in Interstitial Lung Disease Patients During Sleep

ABSTRACT

Background: Hypoxemia stimulates endothelin-1 (ET-1) secretion. The reduction in alveolar ventilation during sleep is considered sufficient to account for the hypoxemia observed in patients with respiratory diseases. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the arterial ET-1 levels and their relationship with pulmonary hypertension in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) during sleep. Methods: We examined 38 patients with ILD using formal polysomnography (electroencephalogram, electrocardiogram, airflow, respiratory muscle movement, oximeter) to detect the presence of nocturnal, nonapneic, oxyhemoglobin desaturation. All patients desaturated below a baseline sleep saturation of 90% for 5 minutes or more, reaching a nadir saturation of at least 85%. Each patient had already undergone right heart catheterization with a Swan-Ganz catheter for measuring hemodynamic parameters. Sampling of arterial blood from a radial artery line for determination of blood gases and ET-1 values was performed simultaneously, after 5 minutes of the first desaturation. Results: At rest, arterial ET-1 levels were higher in ILD patients (1.73 ± 0.37 mgr/mL) than in controls (1.22 ± 0.15 mgr/mL) (p < 0.001). Also, the patients with pulmonary hypertension (Pa > 20 mm Hg) presented significantly higher arterial ET-1 levels (1.86 ± 0.32 mgr/mL) than those without pulmonary hypertension (1.31 ± 0.13 mgr/mL) (p < 0.001). Arterial ET-1 levels were significantly correlated with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) (r = 0.749, p < 0.001), and arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO₂) (r = 0.79, p < 0.001). At sleep, during desaturation, arterial ET-1 levels significantly increased in all patients (2.46 ± 0.13 mgr/mL) as compared with resting values (p < 0.001). Arterial ET-1 levels were significantly correlated with PAP (r = 0.657, p < 0.001) and PaO2 (r = 0.93, p < 0.001). Conclusions: According to our study, arterial ET-1 is markedly increased in ILD patients, especially in those with pulmonary hypertension.

KEYWORDS

Interstitial lung disease - sleep - endothelin-1 (ET-1) - hypoxemia

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