Aortic valve leaflet glycosaminoglycans composition and modification in severe chronic valve regurgitation

It is speculated that differences in 4-sulfated/6-sulfated ratio determined in the belly and leaflet attachment region-commissure parts of the leaflets may correlate with the tensile or compressive loading of normal aortic valve regions. At the same time, it may be assumed that the increase in sulfated GAGs and 4-sulfated/6-sulfated ratio in the leaflet belly of valves taken from patients suffering severe aortic insufficiency was consistent with an altered matrix microstructure capable of influencing the hydration of these pathological tissues, and of conditioning their mechanical weakness.

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