A geochemical basis for endomyocardial fibrosis.
Analysis of hearts of patients dying from endomyocardial fibrosis showed a significantly greater concentration of cerium, a lanthanide present in leafy vegetables and root tubers, than in control hearts. This may be important in the pathogenesis of the disease and provides a geographical basis for the prevalence of the disease in the tropics.
Valiathan
M S
MS
ICMR Centre for Research in Cardiomyopathy, Trivandrum, India.
Kartha
C C
CC
Eapen
J T
JT
Dang
H S
HS
Sunta
C M
CM
D002563:Cerium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D004719:Endomyocardial Fibrosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005506:Food Contamination; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D014330:Tropical Medicine
D012987:Soil; D002563:Cerium