International journal of molecular sciences, 2019-08, Vol.20 (17), p.4105
2019
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Details
- Autor(en) / Beteiligte
- Titel
- The Hen or the Egg: Impaired Alveolar Oxygen Diffusion and Acute High-altitude Illness?
- Ist Teil von
- International journal of molecular sciences, 2019-08, Vol.20 (17), p.4105
- Ort / Verlag
- Switzerland: MDPI AG
- Erscheinungsjahr
- 2019
- Quelle
- MEDLINE
- Beschreibungen/Notizen
- Individuals ascending rapidly to altitudes >2500 m may develop symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS) within a few hours of arrival and/or high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), which occurs typically during the first three days after reaching altitudes above 3000-3500 m. Both diseases have distinct pathologies, but both present with a pronounced decrease in oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in arterial blood (SO ). This raises the question of mechanisms impairing the diffusion of oxygen (O ) across the alveolar wall and whether the higher degree of hypoxemia is in causal relationship with developing the respective symptoms. In an attempt to answer these questions this article will review factors affecting alveolar gas diffusion, such as alveolar ventilation, the alveolar-to-arterial O -gradient, and balance between filtration of fluid into the alveolar space and its clearance, and relate them to the respective disease. The resultant analysis reveals that in both AMS and HAPE the main pathophysiologic mechanisms are activated before aggravated decrease in SO occurs, indicating that impaired alveolar epithelial function and the resultant diffusion limitation for oxygen may rather be a consequence, not the primary cause, of these altitude-related illnesses.
- Sprache
- Englisch
- Identifikatoren
- ISSN: 1422-0067, 1661-6596eISSN: 1422-0067DOI: 10.3390/ijms20174105Titel-ID: cdi_doaj_primary_oai_doaj_org_article_a830a401959c44b99a57ca80b7b3a736
- Format
- –
- Schlagworte
- Acute Disease, acute mountain sickness, Altitude, Altitude Sickness - diagnosis, Altitude Sickness - etiology, Altitude Sickness - metabolism, Altitude Sickness - physiopathology, Alveoli, Animals, Ascent, Cystic fibrosis, Diffusion, Disease Susceptibility, Edema, High altitude, High-altitude environments, high-altitude pulmonary edema, Humans, Hypertension, Hypertension, Pulmonary - diagnosis, Hypertension, Pulmonary - etiology, Hypertension, Pulmonary - metabolism, Hypertension, Pulmonary - physiopathology, Hypoxia, Hypoxia - complications, Illnesses, Laboratories, Lungs, Mountain climbing, Mountaineering, Mountains, Oxygen - metabolism, Oxygen content, oxygen diffusion limitation, Proteins, Pulmonary Alveoli - metabolism, Pulmonary Alveoli - physiopathology, Pulmonary arteries, Reabsorption, Review, Vasoconstriction, Ventilation, Weather