Division of Cardiology, Department of Geriatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing 400016. harborli@126.com
OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of serum fibrotic indices including hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen type III NH2 -terminal peptide (PCIIIP), and laminin (LN) in assessing the severity of myocardial fibrosis in chronic congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: Serum levels of HA, PCIIIP, and LN in 39 patients with CHF [14 with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II, 21 with class III, 4 with class IV] and in 46 patients with NYHA functional class I were assessed by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: The serum concentrations of HA, PCIIIP, and LN were 359.75 +/- 84.59 microg/L, 77.88 +/- 24.67 microg/L, 86.73 +/- 23.90 microg/L in CHF group, and 211.60 +/- 54. 80 microg/L, 64.82 +/- 23.99 microg/L, 82.26 +/- 23.98 microg/L in NYHA functional class I group, respectively. The HA level was significantly higher in CHF patients as compared with NYHA functional class I group (P < 0.05). However, no difference was found in the levels of PCIIIP and LN between CHF group and NYHA functional class I group. The serum HA concentration was negatively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction (r = - 0.71, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Serum HA level may act as an indicator for myocardial fibrosis.