Evaluation of the relationship between cardiac remodeling and serum FABP3 in hypertensive patients

Background Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. In addition, owing to the pathological processes it causes in the vascular bed, it leads to end-organ damage, thereby contributing to morbidity. FABP3 (fatty acid binding protein 3) is a protein primarily expressed in the cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle, and kidney, and plays an important role in cardiomyocyte homeostasis. Methods Echocardiographic evaluation was performed in 41 normotensive controls and 120 patients with hypertension. Patients with cardiac remodelling ( n = 50) and hypertrophy ( n = 33) were identified by calculating the left ventricular mass and relative wall thickness. FABP3 levels were measured in serum samples using ELISA. Results FABP3 levels demonstrated an increasing trend ( p < 0.0001) across the control, non-remodelled hypertensive, remodelling, and hypertrophy groups (1.27 ± 0.81, 1.85 ± 0.75, 2.31 ± 1.06, and 2.85 ± 1.71 ng/ml, respectively). FABP3 levels were significantly but weakly correlated with posterior wall thickness (ρ = 0.29), relative wall thickness (ρ = 0.23), and troponin levels (ρ = 0.2). Conclusion These findings suggest that FABP3 may be associated with hypertension-mediated cardiac remodelling and left ventricular hypertrophy. FABP3 may have potential as a supportive biomarker reflecting subclinical cardiac involvement in patients with hypertension.