Pulmoner arteriyel hipertansiyonlu hastalarda vagal-nöroimmünomodülasyon endeksinin rolü

Abstract

Aim: The vagal neuroimmunomodulation (NIM) index is reflective of the cholinergic inflammatory tone in many clinical circumstances as well as in healthy individuals. We aimed to investigate the relationship of NIM-index on the clinical course patients with PAH. Material and Method: A total of 31 patients diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) were included in this study. Data on electrocardiography (ECG) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were retrospectively obtained from patients’ electronic files retrospectively. The vagal NIM index was calculated as heart rate variability (HRV) to CRP ratio (HRV/CRP). Results: During clinical follow-up, most patients required hospitalization at least once (21 vs. 10 patients). Consistent with the current literature and as expected, there was a significant difference between the groups in BNP values (394 ng/L vs 55 ng/L, p=0.005). HRV, CRP, and NIM-index values were not found to be significant between the groups. Conclusion: NIM-index values were not associated with the need for hospitalization in patients with PAH.