The d-spacing of collagen from mitral heart valves changes with ageing, but not with collagen type III content.
A low angle X-ray diffraction study of normal and myxomatous human heart valves has been carried out using a Synchrotron radiation source. This study has shown a slight progressive decrease in the d-spacing of the collagen with age. Despite suggestions reported in the literature, no significant relative change was observed in the d-spacing with the increase in the percentage of collagen type III from 24% in normal to 31% in myxomatous heart valves.
Adolescent↗