INTRODUCTION Low fetuin-A and vitamin D and high monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) contents are associated with vascular calcification (VC) in dialysis patients. We aimed to demonstrate the difference in fetuin-A, vitamin D, MUFA, and VC on plain radiography between patients on hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD). MATERIALS AND METHODS We recruited 31 hemodialysis and 30 PD patients. We...

BACKGROUND Visfatin is an adipokine produced by visceral adipose tissue and has insulin-mimicking effects. Fetuin-A is a hepatic secretory protein that binds the insulin receptor and inhibits insulin action both in vivo and in vitro. The authors of the present study aimed to investigate the levels of serum visfatin and fetuin-A and their correlation with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and urine albumin...

The final step of biomineralization is a chemical precipitation reaction that occurs spontaneously in supersaturated or metastable salt solutions. Genetic programs direct precursor cells into a mineralization-competent state in physiological bone formation (osteogenesis) and in pathological mineralization (ectopic mineralization or calcification). Therefore, all tissues not meant to mineralize ...

OBJECTIVE The liver-secreted protein fetuin-A induces insulin resistance in animals, and circulating fetuin-A is elevated in insulin resistance and fatty liver in humans. We investigated whether plasma fetuin-A levels predict the incidence of type 2 diabetes in a large prospective, population-based study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A case-cohort study within the European Prospective Investig...

1. The binding of 125I-labelled concanavalin A to isolated rat hepatocytes was studied at temperatures between 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C. At the latter temperature, concentrations of concanavalin A from 0.01 to 0.4 mg/ml were used. In all of these experiments, binding reached a plateau after 40--60 min, when 28--35% of the concanavalin A added was bound to the cells (cell density 8 x 10(6) c...

BACKGROUND Fetuin-A and ghrelin have been implicated in cardiovascular diseases and mortality among end stage renal disease patients. The exact mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. There is robust data supporting an association between ghrelin and various cardiovascular conditions, and some common processes such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress have been...

INTRODUCTION Fetuin-A, a systemic calcification inhibitor, has been negatively related to vascular calcification (VC) and cardiovascular mortality. In this study we investigated the association between fetuin-A levels and atherosclerotic vascular complications in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with and without lupus nephritis (LN). METHODS We recruited 20 SLE patients without LN,...

BACKGROUND An increase in aortic stiffness, as reflected by an increase in pulse wave velocity (PWV) or aortic augmentation index (AI) is an important predictor of cardiovascular mortality in dialysis patients. Dysregulation of calcification inhibitors, such as fetuin-A, is involved in vascular pathology in dialysis patients and fetuin-A is inversely related to mortality in dialysis patients. I...

The hepatokine fetuin-A can together with free fatty acids (FFAs) enhance adipose tissue (AT) inflammation and insulin resistance via toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Although some of the health benefits of exercise can be explained by altered release of myokines from the skeletal muscle, it is not well documented if some of the beneficial effects of exercise can be explained by altered secretion o...

BACKGROUND Fetuin-A, a protein almost exclusively secreted by the liver, induces insulin resistance and subclinical inflammation in rodents. Circulating fetuin-A levels are elevated in humans with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, conditions that are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. METHODS AND RESULTS We investigated the association between fetuin-A levels a...