The plasma level changes of VEGF and soluble VEGF receptor‐1 are associated with high‐altitude pulmonary edema

Abstract

Hypoxia‐induced plasma levels of VEGF and sFlt‐1 are responsible for increased vascular permeability occurred in both brain and pulmonary edema. Currently, it remains unclear the exact roles of VEGF and sFlt‐1 in High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) pathogenesis. In this study, plasma levels of VEGF and sFlt‐1 from 10 HAPE and 10 non‐HAPE subjects were measured and compared. The results showed that plasma levels of both VEGF and sFlt‐1 in HAPE patients were significantly increased as compared to the non‐HAPE group. Interestingly, increased plasma levels of these two protein factors were markedly reduced after treatments. As compared to VEGF, sFlt‐1 was much more affected by hypoxia and treatments, suggesting this factor was a key factor contributed to HAPE pathogenesis. Importantly, the ratio of sFlt‐1 and VEGF in group of either non‐HAPE or HAPE after recovery was significantly lower than the ratio in HAPE patients prior to treatments. Our findings suggested that sFlt‐1 was a key factor that involved in HAPE pathogenesis and the sFlt‐1/VEGF ratio could be used as a sensitive diagnostic marker for HAPE.