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The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 90, 119-125, Copyright © 1985 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association

ARTICLES

Effect of warfarin on calcification of spontaneously degenerated porcine bioprosthetic valves

PD Stein, JM Riddle, SR Kemp, MW Lee, JW Lewis and DJ Magilligan Jr

Synthesis of a calcium-binding amino acid, gamma-carboxyglutamic acid, is a vitamin K-dependent enzymatic process. Warfarin inhibits gamma- carboxyglutamic acid synthesis and, therefore, might diminish the calcification of porcine bioprosthetic valves. To evaluate this, we studied 40 porcine bioprosthetic valves removed because of spontaneous degeneration; 17 patients were treated with warfarin (prothrombin time greater than or equal to 1.5 control) and 23 were untreated. Gross visualization of calcification corresponded closely to x-ray visualization of calcification in explanted valves. No grossly visible calcification or only a single localized nodule was shown in 11 of 17 valves (65%) in treated patients and in only five of 23 valves (22%) in untreated patients (p less than 0.02). Histologic examination showed no calcium or only fine specks of calcium in nine of 13 valves (69%) among warfarin-treated patients and three of 19 valves (16%) from untreated patients. Warfarin, therefore, administered in usual clinical doses, appeared to diminish calcification in spontaneously degenerated porcine bioprosthetic valves.




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Copyright © 1985 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery.