Relations of blood serum apolipoprotein A-I with rheumatic heart valve fibrosis

Correspondence to: A. Maksvytis, Cardiosurgery Department, Klaipeda Seamen’s Hospital, Liepojos 45, 92288 Klaipeda, Lithuania. E-mail: arumax@takas.lt Objective. With the aim to check whether the atherogenetic factors are involved in the mechanisms of valve fibrosis, we have studied blood serum concentrations of apolipoproteins A-I and B in patients suffering from rheumatic heart valve fibrosis. Methods. Blood serum apolipoprotein A-I and B levels were measured in 176 subjects (83 females and 93 males): 11 women (mean age 43.2 ± 3.6 years) underwent aortic valve replacement, 29 women (mean age 41.3 ± 4.1 years) underwent mitral valve surgery, 17 male patients had operated on aortic valves (mean age 49.5 ± 11 years) and 23 men were after mitral valve surgery (mean age 47.3 ± 10.4 years). The results obtained from the patients were compared with the data on age-matched healthy females and males (n = 43; 39.5 ± 5.2 years and n = 53; 44.6 ± 7.8 years). Apolipoprotein concentrations were measured in a fasting serum sample using the ELISA method.