Mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis in hypertension.
Changes in the composition of cardiac tissue develop in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (ie, hypertensive heart disease) and lead to structural remodeling of the myocardium. One of these changes is related to the disruption of the equilibrium between the synthesis and degradation of collagen types I and III molecules, which results in an excessive accumulation of collagen types I and III fibers within the myocardium. Myocardial fibrosis is the consequence of a number of pathologic processes mediated by mechanical, neurohormonal, and cytokine routes. The clinical relevance of fibrosis is that it may contribute to heart failure and other cardiac complications in patients with hypertensive heart disease. This brief review focuses on the mechanisms of hypertensive myocardial fibrosis.
Díez
Javier
J
Centre for Applied Medical Research, Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Clinic, University of Navarra, School of Medicine, Pamplona, Spain. jadimar@unav.es
D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D004719:Endomyocardial Fibrosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology
D024042:Collagen Type I; D024061:Collagen Type III