Increased serum PCSK9 in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: insights from inflammatory cytokines

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is an important and major player in the pathophysiology of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. Recently, PCSK9 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. Whether PCSK9 is involved in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between PCSK9 and IPAH. Serum PCSK9, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin‐1 β (IL‐1β), and monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 (MCP‐1) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed among 40 IPAH patients and 20 control subjects. Hemodynamic data were collected via right heart catheterization in patients with IPAH. Serum PCSK9, TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐1β, and MCP‐1 levels were significantly higher in IPAH patients than in control subjects (p