Human semilunar valves undergo progressive, environmentally mediated adaptation from fetal to adult life, characterized by cellular quiescence and collagen maturation.
Animal data on valve maturation warrant human validation; leaves open relevance to congenital or acquired valve disease.
Fetal valves possess a dynamic/adaptive structure and contain cells with an activated/immature phenotype. During postnatal life, activated cells gradually become quiescent, whereas collagen matures, which suggests a progressive, environmentally mediated adaptation.
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Aïkawa et al. (2006) studied this question.
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