Background: Periodic echo-based screening to detect early stages of a rare complication of dasatinib, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is inefficient and weakens the potential benefit of dasatinib as a potent drug for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). This study aimed to identify the predisposing factors of DASA-PAH to stratify high-risk patients for dasatinib-induced PAH (DASA-PAH).
Methods: Sixty consecutive adult patients who received dasatinib were enrolled in this case-control study. We defined DASA-PAH when at least one of the following four criteria was met: (1) recent electrocardiographic changes indicating right ventricular pressure overload, (2) estimated systolic pulmonary arterial pressure > 40 mmHg measured by Doppler echocardiography; (3) computed tomography (CT)-measured pulmonary artery to aorta diameter (PaD/AoD) ratio > 1; and (4) mean pulmonary arterial pressure > 25 mmHg and pulmonary artery wedge pressure < 15 mmHg measured by right heart catheterization.
Results: We identified 13 patients with DASA-PAH among 59 patients analyzed. Baseline PaD/AoD ratios of patients who developed DASA-PAH (PH group) were significantly larger than those who did not (NPH group). A dramatic rise in PaD/AoD ratio after dasatinib treatment was observed. Interestingly, the EUTOS score and spleen size were significantly smaller in the PH than in the NPH group.
Conclusion: High baseline PaD/AoD ratio and low EUTOS score were associated with DASA-PAH development. The spleen might play a protective role against DASA-PAH.
Keywords: CT; Dasatinib; EUTOS score; Pulmonary arterial hypertension.