Differences in accumulation of elements in human cardiac valves

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Biology
• Biogeochemistry
• Gerontology

Background:

• Human cardiac valves undergo structural and functional changes with age.
• Understanding age-related elemental composition is crucial for cardiac health.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated age-related element distribution across all four cardiac valves.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine age-related changes in elemental content within the four human cardiac valves.
• To investigate the relationships of element contents among the aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves.

Main Methods:

• Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) was used to analyze element content.
• Subjects included 25 individuals (10 men, 15 women) aged 65-102 years.
• Elemental analysis was performed on tissue samples from the four cardiac valves.

Main Results:

• Calcium and phosphorus accumulation was highest in the aortic valve, decreasing in the order mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid.
• Aortic valve calcium and phosphorus levels were significantly higher (2.5 to 19 times) than in other valves.
• Element content, particularly calcium and phosphorus, showed independent accumulation patterns across valves, with some correlations for sulfur and magnesium between aortic and mitral valves.

Conclusions:

• Age-related accumulation of calcium and phosphorus in human cardiac valves is largely independent between valves.
• The aortic valve exhibits the most significant age-related increase in calcium and phosphorus.
• These findings suggest localized mechanisms drive elemental changes in aging cardiac valves.