Aortopathy in Persons With Bicuspid Aortic Valve, Turner and Marfan Syndrome

The study aim is:

1. To examine aortic tissue by light microscopy
2. To examine aortic tissue by electron microscopy
3. To study changes in the epigenome and transcriptome of the X chromosome specific to aortic tissue.
4. To examine aortic tissue using biochemistry including proteomics.
5. To establish the karyotype of fibroblasts with standard chromosome examination on 10 meta-phases as well as by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with probes covering the X and Y chromosome. Using the latter 200 meta-phases will be examined.

30 controls who did not die from aortic dissection or dilation will be recruited from The Department of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University Hospital.

The investigators will subject samples of aortic tissue from women undergoing prophylactic aortic surgery due to either Marfan syndrome or bicuspid aortic valve to the same panel of examinations (except karyotyping). Lastly the investigators will compare the results from the three groups (Turner syndrome, Marfan syndrome and Bicuspid aortic valve).