Description
Hypoxia may cause pulmonary and brain edema, pulmonary hypertension, aberrant metabolism and early mortality. To better understand pathological processes associated with hypoxia, we examined gene expression in Chuvash polycythemia (CP) blood mononuclear cells. CP is a congenital disorder of up-regulated hypoxic response at normoxia wherein VHLR200W homozygosity leads to elevated hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1 and HIF-2 levels, thromboses, pulmonary hypertension, lower systemic blood pressure (SBP) and increased mortality. VHLR200W homozygotes are often treated by phlebotomy resulting in iron deficiency, allowing us to evaluate an interaction of augmented hypoxia sensing with iron deficiency.