The mechanisms involved in the initiation of vascular calcification are not known, but matrix vesicles, the nucleation sites for calcium crystal formation in bone, are likely candidates, because similar structures have been found in calcified arteries. The regulation of matrix vesicle production is poorly understood but is thought to be associated with apoptotic cell death. In the present study...

BACKGROUND High- and low-flux hemodialysis (HFHD and LFHD, respectively) are dialysis procedures designed to eliminate blood toxins that accumulate in end-stage renal disease. HFHD may reduce vascular calcification by removing serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23). However, whether HFHD is better than LFHD is still under debate. We therefore compared the efficacy of HFHD and LFHD in contro...

Fro F. xU Mo Ma Aa Ka AG ed aw Ins Ho ho res VB BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory condition with calcification apparent late in the disease process. The extent and progression of coronary calcification predict cardiovascular events. Relatively little is known about noncoronary vascular calcification. OBJECTIVES This study investigated noncoronary vascular calcification and its influ...

C ardiovascular calcification is a prominent feature of chronic inflammatory disorders that associate with significant morbidity and mortality. Vascular calcification is highly prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), a multifactorial disorder. CKD often results from hypertension and diabetes, and patients with CKD are among the highest-risk groups for cardiovascular events. Not...

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Cardiovascular events are 5 to 30× more likely to occur in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients compared with the general population of the same age, sex, and race. In dialysis patients, arterial stiffness has been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. An i...

Human vascular calcification burden has existed for at least 5 millennia and has long been a major area of interest in the cardiovascular physiopathology research. Abnormal calcium deposition occurs in almost all arterial beds in both the media and intima in metabolic and diabetic diseases. Calcification of arteries reduces arterial elastance and compromises cardiovascular hemodynamics, which a...

osteonectin is a bone- associated protein involved in vascular calcification. adiponectin may protect against cardiovascular disease but possible effects on vascular calcification have been poorly studied. the aim of this study was to investigate the modulatory effect of adiponectin on oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxldl)- induced expression of osteonectin in human aorta vascular smooth mus...