Calcification In Kidney Disease Research Articles

Extraosseous calcification in kidney disease.

A consequence of chronic and end-stage kidney disease is a higher risk of calcium deposition in sites other than the bones. The authors of this review outline current understanding of the pathogenesis, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of this group of disorders.

Mechanisms of Vascular Calcification in Kidney Disease.

The increase in prevalence and severity of vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease is a result of complex interactions between changes in the vascular bed, mineral metabolites, and other uremic factors. Vascular calcification can occur in the intima and the media of arterial wall. Under permissive conditions, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) can transform to osteoblast-like phenotype. The membrane-bound vesicles released from transformed VSMCs and the apoptotic bodies derived from dying VSMCs serve as nucleating structures for calcium crystal formation. Alterations in the quality and the quantity of endogenous calcification inhibitors also give rise to an environment that potentiates calcification.