Research on the diagnostic value of pulmonary artery diameter characteristics and combined TNF- α in patients with HIV associated pulmonary hypertension.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of pulmonary artery diameter in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection-associated pulmonary hypertension (PAH), and to explore the clinical significance of pulmonary artery diameter correlation indices combined with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) for early screening and diagnosis of HIV-associated pulmonary hypertension, aiming to provide valuable clinical insights. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 65 HIV-infected patients admitted to the Eighth Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University between May 2017 and December 2023. Based on echocardiography findings, the patients were categorized into an observation group (23 cases with PAH) and a control group (42 cases without PAH) . Measurements of pulmonary artery diameter (PA), distal pulmonary artery diameter (dPA), and aortic diameter were obtained in both groups, and the ratio of dPA to aortic diameter (rPA) was calculated. Additionally, serum TNF-α levels were recorded. The clinical significance of each index in early screening and diagnosis of HIV-related pulmonary hypertension was analyzed. Results The PA, dPA, rPA, and TNF- α levels in the observation group were significantly higher compared to those in the control group. Pearson linear correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between TNF-α and both dPA and rPA. Two-column correlation analysis demonstrated a significant association between HIV-PAH and PA, dPA, rPA, as well as TNF-α (P < 0.05). The combined measurement of serum TNF-α with dPA and rPA exhibited an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.891 for diagnosing HIV-APAH, with a sensitivity of 0.870 and specificity of 0.881. Conclusion The combination of pulmonary artery diameter and TNF- α provides a more accurate indication of the presence of HIVPAH, enabling early screening, follow-up, or intervention in high-risk patients. This finding holds significant implications for enhancing patient prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]