[Vascular calcification: mutual interaction between bone and blood vessel]

Abstract

Vascular calcification often associates with bone-cartilage formation. Artery sclerotic lesions accompany the expression of bone matrix proteins such as osteopontin, osteocalcin and matrix Gla protein and transcription factors including Runx2, osterix and Sox9. These lesions also express BMP, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and RANKL, which are important factor regulating bone formation and resorption. MGP-deficient mice exhibited extensive artery calcification as well as OPG-deficient mice. Thus, bone metabolism-related factors actively participate in vascular calcification, which had been interpreted as a passive calcification due to dystrophic calcification.