title: Immunohistochemical characterization of the extracellular matrix in normal mitral valves and in chronic valve disease (endocardiosis) in dogs.
abstract: This study aimed to characterize the composition and distribution of the extracellular matrix (ECM) components in normal canine mitral valves (MV) and in chronic heart valve disease (CVD). MV of 50 dogs (normal (n=9), mild (n=13), moderate (n=17), severe (n=11) CVD) were investigated macroscopically, histologically (H.-E., picrosirius red) and immunohistochemically (collagen I, III, IV, V, VI, elastin, laminin, fibronectin, heparan sulphate). In normal MV, ECM components were expressed in a typical layered pattern. In mild CVD, basement membrane components (laminin, collagen IV, fibronectin) were increased. Advanced CVD was characterized by myxomatous nodular lesions displaying a marginal and a central region comprised mainly of collagen I, VI and fibronectin in the former and collagen I and III in the latter. Collagen IV and laminin appeared multifocally in marked CVD. In conclusion, not only an accumulation of proteoglycans, but also a distinctly altered expression of basement membrane components, and collagens characterizes CVD.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Veterinär-Pathologie, Veterinärmedizinische Fakultät, An den Tierkliniken 33, Universität Leipzig 04103, Germany. aupperle@rz.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aupperle
authors.forename: Imke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: März
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thielebein
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kiefer
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kappe
authors.forename: Heinz-Adolf
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Schoon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000145:classification*; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000032:analysis; D012016:Reference Values; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D011509:Proteoglycans; D003094:Collagen