Calcific Aortic Valve Disease Is Associated with Layer-Specific Alterations in Collagen Architecture.

ABSTRACT: Disorganization of the valve extracellular matrix (ECM) is a hallmark of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). However, while microarchitectural features of the ECM can strongly influence the biological and mechanical behavior of tissues, little is known about the ECM microarchitecture in CAVD. In this work, we apply advanced imaging techniques to quantify spatially heterogeneous changes in collagen microarchitecture in CAVD. Human aortic valves were obtained from individuals between 50 and 75 years old with no evidence of valvular disease (healthy) and individuals who underwent valve replacement surgery due to severe stenosis (diseased). Second Harmonic Generation microscopy and subsequent image quantification revealed layer-specific changes in fiber characteristics in healthy and disease

SUBMITTER: Hutson HN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5042542 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature