Serum Collagen Markers and Heart Failure

Increased myocardial collagen accumulation is present in almost every cardiac disease and plays an important role in the reduced heart function. N-terminal and C-terminal propeptides of collagen type I and III, the two major collagen types in the heart, can be assayed in serum.These propeptides (PINP, PIIINP, PICP, ICTP) reflect collagen synthesis and degradation. The use of these serum collagen biomarkers as prognostic or diagnostic tools is an area of active investigation. In this review article these studies will be discussed as well as the limitations of these serum biomarkers as indicators of cardiac fibrosis.