# Screening for schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2024 · $244,196

## Abstract

SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Due to challenges with available technology in regions of the world where schistosomiasis is endemic, the
prevalence of schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SchPAH) is unknown. SchPAH is an
incurable and ultimately fatal disease for which early detection and treatment could extend the lives of those
afflicted. New approaches to diagnose SchPAH are needed, as the current diagnostic criteria require invasive
right heart catheterization leading to under and delayed diagnosis.
 An opportunity to develop noninvasive diagnostic risk scores for PAH is provided by the PVDomics dataset
and a collaboration to conduct these analyses at UCSF using the PVDomics data has been established. The
proposed studies will define diagnostic risk scores for PAH (i) using a broad range of clinical, echocardiographic
(echo), and biomarker predictors and (ii) using predictors easily measured in low- and middle-income countries
(LMIC). The risk scores would enable estimation of the probability of PAH in individuals, the PAH case-rate in
clinic samples, and PAH prevalence in communities at risk. Regardless of LMIC, the scores will rely only on
noninvasive predictors to support their repeated use in disease screening.
 After developing the risk score, its first application to will be to SchPAH disease, and will take place in the
longitudinal prospective cohorts we are enrolling at 3 clinical sites in Ethiopia and Zambia, targeting 40 enrollees
per site per year. We will estimate the case-rate of SchPAH by standard of care criteria and using the Aim-1
diagnostic risk score. Eligible patients will have a history of Schistosoma infection and be diagnosed with
schistosomiasis-associated hepatosplenic disease (SchHSD), placing them at relatively high risk for SchPAH.
At baseline and annual follow-up study visits each participant will undergo clinical and echocardiography
assessments, and providing blood samples for biomarker assessments to ensure that the predictors on which
the diagnostic score is based are on hand. Once it is defined, the risk score and probability of PAH will be
calculated on each participants’ data, both at past and future visits, and the distribution the quantities will be
summarized graphically. This study also will evaluate some biomarkers that reflect the pathobiology of SchPAH
and may be particularly suitable for identifying PAH disease during its preclinical and early clinical periods, which
could suggest a role as potential therapeutic targets.
 We believe these diagnostic tools will have enormous impact on all those worldwide who are at risk for
developing PAH or living with undiagnosed PAH.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10907771
- **Project number:** 5R21AI171968-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Brian Barkley Graham
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $244,196
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-15 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10907771

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10907771, Screening for schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (5R21AI171968-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10907771. Licensed CC0.

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