After local ethics committee approval, 46 CTEPH patients and 106 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Those with a known genetic disease and those younger than 18 years of age were excluded from the study. The patient group consisted of people who were admitted to the only expert pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) center in our region according to the guidelines,3 (link) and our expertise on this field has been reported elsewhere,7 (link) 885 patients underwent PEA since 2009. Diagnosis of CTEPH was confirmed after 3 months of effective anticoagulation treatment, ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy, pulmonary computed tomographic angiography, and right heart catheterization. All patients were assessed by our multidisciplinary team of CTEPH experts, and all care was provided including detailed diagnostics and all forms of CTEPH therapy. This CTEPH expert team includes expert PEA surgeons, pulmonologists, cardiologists, and radiologists. The control group consisted of volunteers with similar demographic characteristics of the patient group.
No additional application or treatment changes specific to the study were made in the patient group. In the control group, only the appropriate venous blood sample was taken, and age, gender, and current and past disease histories, if any, were recorded. In the control group, no additional special radiological or laboratory examination was performed, except for blood collection.
About 5 mL of venous blood sample from the patient and control groups were taken into tubes with K3-EDTA and stored under appropriate conditions (−20°C).
No additional application or treatment changes specific to the study were made in the patient group. In the control group, only the appropriate venous blood sample was taken, and age, gender, and current and past disease histories, if any, were recorded. In the control group, no additional special radiological or laboratory examination was performed, except for blood collection.
About 5 mL of venous blood sample from the patient and control groups were taken into tubes with K3-EDTA and stored under appropriate conditions (−20°C).
