Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41063250›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2025

Systemic inflammation and fibrocalcific remodeling in aortic stenosis: the interplay of Lipoprotein(a), sex, and valve morphology.

Veronika A Myasoedova, Vincenza Valerio, Valentina Rusconi, Francesca Bertolini, Ilaria Massaiu, Sergio Pirola, Paola Gripari, Valentina Mantegazza, Francesco Cannata, Kamil Stankowski and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
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

13 authors.

Veronika A MyasoedovaCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Vincenza ValerioCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Valentina RusconiCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Francesca BertoliniCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Ilaria MassaiuCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Sergio PirolaCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Paola GripariCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Valentina MantegazzaCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Francesco CannataCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Kamil StankowskiCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Saima MushtaqCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Gianluca PontoneCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy.
Paolo PoggioCentro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, Milan, 20138, Italy. paolo.poggio@unimi.it.ORCID 0000-0002-7225-3379

Funding

Fondazione Gigi e Pupa Ferrari FPF-14Ministero della Salute GR-2018-12366423Ministero della Salute GR-2019-12370560Ministero della Salute Ricerca Corrente
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAortic valve stenosis (AS) is a progressive valvular disease characterized by fibrocalcific remodeling of the aortic valve leaflets, contributing to significant cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. While valve calcification has been extensively studied, the relationship between valve fibrosis, lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], systemic inflammation, sex differences, and valve morphology remains less explored.

methodsWe prospectively enrolled 45 patients with severe AS undergoing preoperative echocardiography and contrast-enhanced cardiac computed tomography (CT) at Centro Cardiologico Monzino. Aortic valve calcium and fibrosis volumes were quantified using threshold-based segmentation on CT images. Lp(a) was measured by ELISA, while a multiplex Luminex assay measured a panel of 44 cytokines. Patients were stratified by Lp(a) levels (≤ 50 vs. > 50 mg/dL), sex, and valve morphology (bicuspid vs. tricuspid) to explore associations with the fibrocalcific components of stenotic aortic valves.

resultsThe median Lp(a) level was 34.4 mg/dL (12.6; 93.4). No significant differences in valvular calcium load were observed between low and high Lp(a) groups. However, a modest increase in fibrotic volume was noted in patients with elevated Lp(a), particularly among men (p = 0.075). Several cytokines, including IL-1RA, IL-8, and TGF-α in men, and EGF, GM-CSF, IP-10, and IL-10 in women, were positively correlated with calcium burden. Fibrotic volume was associated with elevated eotaxin and PDGF-AA levels, with sex-specific patterns. Patients with bicuspid valve exhibited higher fibrocalcific volumes but lower circulating levels of several cytokines compared to patients with tricuspid valve morphology.

conclusionsIn patients with severe AS, circulating cytokine profiles show sex- and valve-morphology-specific associations with the fibrocalcific composition of the valve. However, Lp(a) was not associated with valvular calcification, and any relationship with fibrosis appeared at most modest, more evident in men. These results support the relevance of inflammatory profiling in assessing AS pathophysiology.

Indexed as

Aortic ValveAortic Valve StenosisCalcinosisInflammationLipoprotein(a)Sex CharacteristicsAgedCytokinesFemaleFibrosisHumansMaleMiddle AgedSex FactorsTomography, X-Ray ComputedCytokinesLipoprotein(a)Circulating cytokinesFibrocalcific aortic valve stenosisLipoprotein (a)Valve morphology

Identifiers

PMID41063250
PMCPMC12506290

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.