Highlights from the ERS International Congress 2018: Assembly 13 – Pulmonary Vascular Diseases

Abstract

The 2018 European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Paris, France, highlighted the subject of pulmonary vascular disease (PVD). 2018 was an exciting year for the PVD community as it was the first ERS International Congress since the formation of Assembly 13, which is dedicated to PVD, pulmonary embolism and the right ventricle.This article aims to summarise the high-quality studies presented at the 2018 Congress into four subject areas: the use of risk stratification in pulmonary arterial hypertension, the molecular mechanisms and treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH), understanding and improving the right ventricle in PH, and finally, advances in the field of acute pulmonary embolus.

New Therapeutic Pathways in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

“…Additionally, dysfunctional endothelial cells produce inflammatory and growth factors that induce pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) migration and proliferation in small precapillary arterioles, eventually leading to further luminal narrowing 6,7 . Such vascular changes progressively increase PVR and pulmonary vascular load, subsequently leading to right ventricular failure and ultimately death in most patients 8 .…”