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Updated: May 9, 2026

An Image Guided Transapical Mitral Valve Leaflet Puncture Model of Controlled Volume Overload from Mitral Regurgitation in the Rat
Published on: May 19, 2020
Cardiomyopathy in young adults with classic mitral valve prolapse
Eduard Malev1, Svetlana Reeva1, Lyubov Vasina2
11Department of Connective Tissue Disorders,Almazov Federal Heart,Blood and Endocrinology Centre,Saint-Petersburg,Russia.
Background:
In some inherited connective tissue diseases with involvement of the cardiovascular system, for example, Marfan syndrome, early impairment of left ventricular function, which have been described as Marfan-related cardiomyopathy has been reported. Our aim was to evaluate the left ventricular function in young adults with mitral valve prolapse without significant mitral regurgitation using two-dimensional strain imaging and to determine the possible role of the transforming growth factor-β pathway in its deterioration.
Methods:
We studied 78 young adults with mitral valve prolapse without mitral regurgitation in comparison with 80 sex-matched and age-matched healthy individuals. Longitudinal strain and strain rates were defined using spackle tracking. Concentrations of transforming growth factor-β₁ and β₂ in serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
Results:
In 29 patients, classic relapse was identified with a leaflet thickness of ≥ 5 mm; 49 patients had a non-classic mitral valve prolapse. Despite the similar global systolic function, a significant reduction in global strain was found in the classic group (-15.5 ± 2.9%) compared with the non-classic group (-18.7 ± 3.8; p = 0.0002) and the control group (-19.6 ± 3.4%; p < 0.0001). In young adults with non-classic prolapse, a reduction in longitudinal deformation was detected only in septal segments. Transforming growth factor-β₁ and β₂ serum levels were elevated in patients with classic prolapse as compared with the control group and the non-classic mitral valve prolapse group.
Conclusions:
These changes in the deformations may be the first signs of deterioration of the left ventricular function and the existence of primary cardiomyopathy in young adults with mitral valve prolapse, which may be caused by increased transforming growth factor-β signalling.
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