Objective      To investigate and discuss the expression and significance of vascular endothelial growth factors(VEGF) and vascular smooth muscle cell growth factors in blood of patients with high altitude heart disease through experimental study.       Methods   

   The expression of vascular endothelial growth factors including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)

VEGF and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular smooth muscle cell growth factors including endothelin-1 (ET-1)

platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)

and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) in the blood samples of 42 patients with high altitude heart disease and 40 healthy subjects living in plateau as well as their echocardiogra-phic restuts were analyzed.       Results      The expression levels of HGF

VEGF

bFGF

ET-1

PDGF and FGF in the patients with high altitude disease were all higher that those in the healthy group (

P

0.05 or

P

0.01). The patients with high altitude disease presented various degrees of right heart changes and pulmonary hypertension

and had significantly higher values of right atrium (vertical diameter/transverse diameter)

outflow tract of right ventricle

anteroposterior diameter of right ventricle

right ventricular anterior wall thickness

pulmonary artery inner diameter

and pulmonary arterial systolic pressure than those in the healthy group (

P

0.01). Meanwhile

the expression of HGF

VEGF

bFGF

ET-1

PDGF and FGF showed positive correlation with the pulmonary arterial systolic pressure

pulmonary artery diastolic pressure

and mean pulmonary arterial pressure.       Conclusion      Compared with those healthy subjects

the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factors and vascular smooth muscle cell growth factors are significantly increased in the patients with high altitude heart disease

showing close correlation with the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and high altitude heart disease.