Early portopulmonary hypertension predicts mortality in patients with cirrhosis: Insights from the PORTO-DETECT cohort

Background & Aims: Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) is a severe complication of cirrhosis and portal hypertension. In 2022, a European task force revised the diagnostic criteria for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), defining early stages as a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) of 20....

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Téllez, L, Donate, J, Guerrero, A, Beraza, IA, San Martín, D, Alvarado, E, Echevarria, V, Puente, A, Zamora, J, Del Prado, S, Tenes, A, Balagué, G, Vidal, B, Geli, C, Rodriguez-Gandia, MA, Baiges, A, Brujats, A, Rodríguez, DLH, Sánchez, SFG, Fortea, JI, del Cerro, MJ, Villanueva, C, Garcia-Pagán, JC, Giráldez, A, Albillos, A
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau)
Repositorio:r-IIB SANT PAU. Repositorio Institucional de Producción Científica del Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pau
OAI Identifier:oai:iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com:p21117
Acceso en línea:https://iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com/Publicaciones/ProdCientif/PublicacionFrw.aspx?id=21117
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Cirrhosis
portopulmonary hypertension
HVPG
portal hypertension
pulmonary hypertension
heart failure
Descripción
Sumario:Background & Aims: Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) is a severe complication of cirrhosis and portal hypertension. In 2022, a European task force revised the diagnostic criteria for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), defining early stages as a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) of 20.5-24.5 mmHg and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) >2 Wood units. We evaluated the prognostic value of these revised criteria in patients with cirrhosis. Methods: In this longitudinal, multicenter, observational cohort, 428 adults with cirrhosis and portal hypertension underwent right-heart catheterization between 2015 and 2023 and were stratified into five groups: normal, early PoPH, classic PoPH, post-capillary pulmonary hypertension, and unclassified profiles. All-cause mortality was analyzed by multivariable Cox regression and competing-risk models, with liver transplantation as an intercurrent event. Results: Over a median follow-up time of 20.0 months (IQR 8.0-36.0), 3-year survival rates were 76.7%, 49.5%, and 42.0% in the normal mPAP, early PoPH, and classic PoPH groups, respectively. After adjustment for age, sex, liver function, and portal hypertension severity, both early PoPH (hazard ratio 3.5; 95% CI 1.9-6.3; p <0.01) and classic PoPH (hazard ratio 4.5; 2.6-7.6; p <0.01) remained independent predictors of mortality vs. normal mPAP; these associations persisted in competing-risk analysis, whereas post-capillary pulmonary hypertension and unclassified groups did not differ from the normal mPAP cohort. Conclusion: Applying the 2022 ESC/ERC definitions of PAH identifies a subset of patients with cirrhosis with early-stage PoPH, characterized by mild pulmonary vascular resistance elevation, who nevertheless face a markedly increased risk of death, emphasizing the need for systematic screening and early targeted intervention. (c) 2025 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.