Samples were collected as surgical waste from patients undergoing valvular replacement because of severe aortic (n=6) and mitral (n=2) stenosis. Pathological mineral formations have been investigated with XRPD and SEM-EDS, both in high and in low vacuum conditions. Samples were not coated because of metallic coating artifacts.The a cell parameters were found to be smaller than the a parameter of human dental enamel apatite, while the c parameters were greater. High resolution images show a complex relationship between inorganic component and organic matrix as well as particular morphologies of the pathogenic biomineralization. Bioapatite appears as lamellar crystals, globular aggregated and massive; at high magnification it appears to be constituted of spherical particles of variable size. Bioapatite morphology observed in this study appears to be different from biogenic calcium phosphate crystals and from inorganically produced counterparts. The small spheres could be considered as nanobacterial-like structures (?). This attractive hypothesis has not been confirmed yet.
Pathological biomineralization from human aortic and mitral valve stenosis / Maras, Adriana; Cottignoli, Valentina; Cavarretta, Elena; L., Salvador; C., Valfre. - ELETTRONICO. - 6:(2010), pp. 374-374. (Intervento presentato al convegno IMA 2010-XX General Meeting of the International Mineralogical Association: “Bonds and Bridges: mineral science and their applications” tenutosi a Budapest nel 21-27 Agosto 2010).
Pathological biomineralization from human aortic and mitral valve stenosis.
MARAS, Adriana;COTTIGNOLI, VALENTINA;CAVARRETTA, Elena;
2010
Abstract
Samples were collected as surgical waste from patients undergoing valvular replacement because of severe aortic (n=6) and mitral (n=2) stenosis. Pathological mineral formations have been investigated with XRPD and SEM-EDS, both in high and in low vacuum conditions. Samples were not coated because of metallic coating artifacts.The a cell parameters were found to be smaller than the a parameter of human dental enamel apatite, while the c parameters were greater. High resolution images show a complex relationship between inorganic component and organic matrix as well as particular morphologies of the pathogenic biomineralization. Bioapatite appears as lamellar crystals, globular aggregated and massive; at high magnification it appears to be constituted of spherical particles of variable size. Bioapatite morphology observed in this study appears to be different from biogenic calcium phosphate crystals and from inorganically produced counterparts. The small spheres could be considered as nanobacterial-like structures (?). This attractive hypothesis has not been confirmed yet.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
