Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40340734›Full record

ArticleBMC research notes2025

Evaluation of Ficolin-3 deficiency as a risk factor in the development of rheumatic heart disease.

Zahra Parker, M Taariq Salie, Kélin Engel, Liesl J Zühlke, Mark E Engel, Timothy F Spracklen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC research notes, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Zahra Parker *Cape Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
M Taariq Salie *Cape Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Kélin EngelCape Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Liesl J ZühlkeCape Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Mark E EngelCape Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. mark.engel@mrc.ac.za.
Timothy F SpracklenCape Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveFicolin-3 is a crucial protein for the activation of the complement system. Previous work has indicated this protein may play a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatic heart disease (RHD), and it has been hypothesised that ficolin-3 has potential as a biomarker for early identification of patients with suspected RHD. This study investigated FCN3 gene polymorphisms rs532781899 (c.349del) and rs4494157 (c.658 + 250 C > A) and ficolin-3 serum concentrations in an ethnically diverse cohort of 53 RHD cases and 45 healthy controls from across Africa.

resultsFicolin-3 was found to be increased by 16% in RHD patients (p = 0.03) compared to controls, but polymorphisms did not associate with the risk of developing RHD nor with ficolin-3 concentrations. Carriers of the c.349del haploinsufficiency locus had normal levels of ficolin-3, while the previously described c.658 + 250 C > A RHD susceptibility locus was found equally in cases and controls. The higher serum ficolin-3 in RHD supports the potential role of this protein in RHD pathogenesis. However, these results suggest that rs532781899 and rs4494157 are not risk factors for the development of RHD in patients from sub-Saharan Africa and would not be reliable as early-stage markers of RHD susceptibility.

Indexed as

Genetic Predisposition to DiseaseGlycoproteinsLectinsRheumatic Heart DiseaseAdultBiomarkersCase-Control StudiesFemaleFicolinsHumansMaleMiddle AgedPolymorphism, Single NucleotideRisk FactorsBiomarkersFCN3 protein, humanFicolinsGlycoproteinsLectinsAfricaFicolinGeneticsRheumatic heart disease

Identifiers

PMID40340734
PMCPMC12060289

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.