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Gene Expression Patterns In Patients With High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema: A Gene Microarray Analysis, Lauren Kendall Krause

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Multiple modulating genes and environmental factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). However, at the present time, there exists an incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms and pathways which underlie constitutional susceptibility. Genome-wide measurements of gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were performed using microarray technology. Comparison of gene expression profiles of HAPE-susceptible and resistant individuals resulted in the identification of several previously undescribed candidate genes. RhoA and Rho-kinase (ROCK), regulators of vascular smooth muscle contraction, were differentially regulated in the HAPE-susceptible cohort, as compared to both HAPE-resistant patients with acute mountain sickness …