Relationship between plasma endothelin and endothelium-derived relaxing factor with pulmonary hypertension in patients with congenital heart diseases

Objective:To study the relationship between pulmonary hypertension with the plasma level of endothelin and endothelium derived relaxing factor.Methods:We measure the pulmonary hemodynamic parameters and determined the plasme endothelin and levels of endothelium derived relaxing factor which were obtained from varies parts of the heart chambers during cardiac catheterization in 30 congenital heart diseases cases.Results:The plasma level of endothelin in pulmonary hypertension group was higher than that in the normal pulmonary pulmonary artery pressure group and was significantly positive correlated with pulmonary artery pressure. The level of endothelium derived relaxing factor in pulmonary hypertension group was lower than that in the normal pulmonary artery pressure group and was negatively related to the pulmonary artery pressure.Conclusion:The increase of the endothelin and the decrease of the endothelium derived relaxing factor in the pulmonary circulation may be involved in the pathphysiology of the pulmonary hypertension.