Role of kallistatin in pediatric patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension

Background and objectives. Kallistatin, a serine proteinase inhibitor, exerts its effect by vascular repair, angiogenesis inhibition, strong vasodilation, inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), anti-inflammation, and anti-apoptosis. We hypothesized as to whether it has a protective role in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)