Hepatocyte growth factor may contribute to male protection against pulmonary arterial hypertension - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #gender-differences
- #HGF
- #PAH
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a deadly disease with a female-predominant incidence (4:1 ratio).
- Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is upregulated in the lungs of male PAH patients but not in females, suggesting a protective role.
- Elevated plasma HGF correlates with better clinical outcomes only in male PAH patients.
- HGF inhibits the proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC) and fibroblasts (PAFB), with a stronger effect in cells from male patients.
- In a rat model, lung-specific HGF knockdown worsened PAH symptoms in males, indicating its protective role.
- Higher HGF levels in males may explain their lower susceptibility to PAH compared to females.