Epidemiological and histological findings implicate matrix Gla protein in diastolic left ventricular dysfunction.

A novel paradigm of diastolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction proposes involvement of the cardiac microvasculature. Vitamin K dependent matrix Gla protein (MGP) plays a role in preserving microcirculatory integrity. We hypothesized that LV filling pressure-a measure of diastolic LV dysfunction-increases with higher plasma level of inactive desphospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP). We also studied the distribution of active and inactive MGP in human myocardium. We measured echocardiographic diastolic LV function and plasma dp-ucMGP (ELISA) in 668 Flemish and for replication in 386 Swiss. Amon... Mehr ...