https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/851 Sat, 11 Apr 2026 06:00:27 GMT 2026-04-11T06:00:27Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/13566 Blood Eosinophil Count in Asthma Is Associated With Increased Abdominal Aortic Diameter and Increased Vascular Stiffness Biener, Leonie; Budimovska, Andrea; Skowasch, Dirk; Pizarro, Carmen; Frisch, Ben Christoph; Nickenig, Georg; Stumpf, Max Jonathan; Schaefer, Christian A.; Schahab, Nadjib <strong>Background: </strong>Asthma is associated with atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). However, the underlying pathomechanisms remain elusive. Blood eosinophil count (BEC) is implicated in both eosinophilic asthma and arterial wall inflammation.<br /> <strong>Objective:</strong> To explore the possible association of BEC in asthma and abdominal aortic artery changes.<br /> <strong>Methods:</strong> 112 outpatients were prospectively enrolled in this exploratory study. Abdominal aortic diameter was measured using ultrasonography imaging, while vascular speckle tracking was utilized to evaluate vascular strains. Patients were stratified into two groups, with n=66 patients with a BEC of ≥300 n/μL and n=46 patients with <300 n/μL. Both groups exhibited no significant disparities in cardiovascular risk factors; however, the high BEC group was more frequently male.<br /> <strong>Results:</strong> The aortic diameter was wider in patients with a BEC ≥300 n/μL (1.46 ± 0.25 cm vs 1.67 ± 0.63 cm, p=0.018). Three patients were diagnosed with an AAA, all had a BEC ≥300 n/μL. Patients with a BEC ≥300 n/μL exhibited lower strain values, indicative of higher vascular stiffness, including radial strain (2.65 ± 1.38% vs 4.46 ± 2.59%; p<0.001). BEC exhibited a positive correlation with abdominal aortic diameter (R²=0.131, b=0.000, p<0.001), and a negative correlation with radial strain values (R²=0.131, b=−0.002, p=0.001) in sex-adjusted linear regression.<br /> <strong>Conclusion:</strong> In patients with asthma, blood eosinophil count (BEC) is correlated with a wider aortic diameter and heightened vascular stiffness in the abdominal aorta. Hence, they may be at an elevated risk of developing an AAA. Thu, 20 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/13566 2025-02-20T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/10621 Pulmonary Arteriovenous Pressure Gradient and Time-Averaged Mean Velocity of Small Pulmonary Arteries Can Serve as Sensitive Biomarkers in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Nahardani, Ali; Leistikow, Simon; Grün, Katja; Krämer, Martin; Herrmann, Karl-Heinz; Schrepper, Andrea; Jung, Christian; Moradi, Sara; Schulze, Paul Christian; Linsen, Lars; Reichenbach, Jürgen R.; Hoerr, Verena; Franz, Marcus (1) Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a serious condition that is associated with many cardiopulmonary diseases. Invasive right heart catheterization (RHC) is currently the only method for the definitive diagnosis and follow-up of PAH. In this study, we sought a non-invasive hemodynamic biomarker for the diagnosis of PAH. (2) Methods: We applied prospectively respiratory and cardiac gated 4D-flow MRI at a 9.4T preclinical scanner on three different groups of Sprague Dawley rats: baseline (n = 11), moderate PAH (n = 8), and severe PAH (n = 8). The pressure gradients as well as the velocity values were analyzed from 4D-flow data and correlated with lung histology. (3) Results: The pressure gradient between the pulmonary artery and vein on the unilateral side as well as the time-averaged mean velocity values of the small pulmonary arteries were capable of distinguishing not only between baseline and severe PAH, but also between the moderate and severe stages of the disease. (4) Conclusions: The current preclinical study suggests the pulmonary arteriovenous pressure gradient and the time-averaged mean velocity as potential biomarkers to diagnose PAH. Tue, 28 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/10621 2021-12-28T00:00:00Z