Serum Carboxy-Terminal Propeptide of Procollagen Type I Is a Marker of Myocardial Fibrosis in Hypertensive Heart Disease

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Abstract
Background—This study was designed to investigate whether the serum concentration of the carboxy-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I (PIP), a marker of collagen type I synthesis, is related to myocardial fibrosis in hypertensive patients. Methods and Results—The study was performed in 26 patients with essential hypertension in which ischemic cardiomyopathy was excluded after a complete medical workup. Right septal endomyocardial biopsies were performed in hypertensive patients to quantify collagen content. Collagen volume fraction (CVF) was determined on picrosirius red–stained sections with an automated image analysis system. The serum concentration of PIP was measured by specific radioimmunoassay. Compared with normotensives, both serum PIP and CVF were increased (Pr=0.471, PPConclusions—These results show a strong correlation between myocardial collagen content and the serum concentration of PIP in essential hypertension. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that the determination of PIP may be an easy and reliable method for the screening and diagnosis of severe myocardial fibrosis associated with arterial hypertension.