Title:Serum Collagen Markers and Heart Failure
VOLUME: 12 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):P. J. Lijnen, T. Maharani, N. Finahari and J. S. Prihadi
Affiliation:Hypertension and Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Unit, Department Cardiovascular Sciences,, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven), Leuven, Belgium.
Keywords:Collagen, Biomarkers, Heart failure, Myocardial fibrosis, C-terminal propeptides, procollagen, propeptides
Abstract:Increased myocardial collagen accumulation is present in almost every cardiac disease and plays an important
role in the reduced heart function. N-terminal and C-terminal propeptides of collagen type I and III, the two major
collagen types in the heart, can be assayed in serum.These propeptides (PINP, PIIINP, PICP, ICTP) reflect collagen
synthesis and degradation.
The use of these serum collagen biomarkers as prognostic or diagnostic tools is an area of active investigation. In this
review article these studies will be discussed as well as the limitations of these serum biomarkers as indicators of cardiac
fibrosis.
