Abstract

Extraosseous calcification is a pathologic mineralization process occurring in soft connective tissues (e.g., skin, vessels, tendons, and cartilage). It can take place on a genetic basis or as a consequence of acquired chronic diseases. In this last case, the etiology is multifactorial, including both extra- and intracellular mechanisms, such as the formation of membrane vesicles (e.g., matrix vesicles and apoptotic bodies), mitochondrial alterations, and oxidative stress. This review is an overview of extraosseous calcification mechanisms focusing on the relationships between apoptosis and mineralization in cartilage and vascular tissues, as these are the two tissues mostly affected by a number of age-related diseases having a progressively increased impact in Western Countries.

Highlights

  • Extraosseous calcification is a pathologic mineralization process occurring in soft connective tissues

  • This review aims to provide an overview of extraosseous calcification mechanisms focusing on the relationships between apoptosis and mineralization in cartilage and vascular tissues

  • Articular cartilage is typically composed of chondrocytes embedded within a rather amorphous extracellular matrix (ECM) comprised of collagen, different proteoglycans, structural proteins involved in cell-matrix and matrix-matrix interactions, proteinases and their inhibitors [108]

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Summary

Extraosseous Calcification

Calcium (Ca2+ ) and inorganic phosphate (Pi) exceed their solubility in most tissues; calcification does not occur in soft connective tissues for the presence of circulating and local inhibitors [15]. When these regulatory mechanisms are skimpy, pathological mineralization overwhelms and takes place through active cellmediated processes partially overlapping those observed during skeletal formation. Minerals are mainly deposited as hydroxyapatite, in contrast, in soft connective tissues, crystals of different compositions have been described (Table 1)

Mitochondria and Oxidative Stress
Apoptosis and Cartilage Calcification
Extracellular Matrix Components in the Context of Cartilage Apoptosis
Death Receptors and Cytokines in the Context of Cartilage Apoptosis
Apoptosis and Vascular Calcification
Changes in Matrix Components in the Context of Vascular Apoptosis
Conclusions
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