Expression and potential clinical value of YTHDF3 in pulmonary hypertension&nbsp;

doi:10.13418/j.issn.1001-165x.2026.2.07

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Chinese Journal of Clinical Anatomy ›› 2026, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (2) : 168-174. DOI: 10.13418/j.issn.1001-165x.2026.2.07

Expression and potential clinical value of YTHDF3 in pulmonary hypertension

Yue Tianyuan¹, Li Chen¹, Wang Xin², Luo Hanshen³, Jiang Dingsheng², Li Yi²*, Fang Zemin²*

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Abstract

Objective To explore the expression of YTH domain-containing family protein 3 (YTHDF3) in pulmonary hypertension (PH) and evaluate its potential clinical significance. Methods The expression levels of YTHDF3 in human pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) and lung tissues from patients with PH were detected using cellular immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. Histopathological staining and tissue-wide fluorescence imaging was employed to evaluate the extent of pulmonary arterial wall remodeling and the expression and localization of YTHDF3 in rat models. Bioinformatic analysis was further conducted to explore the downstream regulatory pathways of YTHDF3 in PH. Results YTHDF3 expression upregulated in the pulmonary arterial tissues of patients with PH and in hypoxia-treated HPASMCs in vitro. More importantly, concomitant with the pathological remodeling of pulmonary arteries in a rat model of PH, YTHDF3 expression increased within the medial layer of these vessels. Consistent with these findings, human bulk omics data further confirmed the upregulation of YTHDF3 in PH samples and suggested its potential role in influencing the pathogenesis and progression of pulmonary hypertension, possibly through the regulation of apoptosis-related pathways. Conclusions YTHDF3 is enriched in the remodeled medial layer of pulmonary arteries in PH, where it contributes to the pathogenesis and progression of PH by regulating pathways such as smooth muscle cell apoptosis, demonstrating significant clinical application potential.

Key words

Pulmonary hypertension / / / YTH domain-containing family protein 3 / / / Pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells

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Yue Tianyuan, Li Chen, Wang Xin, Luo Hanshen, Jiang Dingsheng, Li Yi, Fang Zemin. Expression and potential clinical value of YTHDF3 in pulmonary hypertension [J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Anatomy. 2026, 44(2): 168-174 https://doi.org/10.13418/j.issn.1001-165x.2026.2.07

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