title: Mechanisms of ectopic calcification: implications for diabetic vasculopathy.
abstract: Vascular calcification (VC) is the deposition of calcium/phosphate in the vasculature, which portends a worse clinical outcome and predicts major adverse cardiovascular events. VC is an active process initiated and regulated via a variety of molecular signalling pathways. There are mainly two types of calcifications: the media VC and the intima VC. All major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been linked to the presence/development of VC. Besides the risk factors, a genetic component is also operative to determine arterial calcification. Several events take place before VC is established, including inflammation, trans-differentiation of vascular cells and homing of circulating pro-calcific cells. Diabetes is an important predisposing factor for VC. Compared with non-diabetic subjects, patients with diabetes show increased VC and higher expression of bone-related proteins in the medial layer of the vessels. In this review we will highlight the mechanisms underlying vascular calcification in diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy ; 2 Laboratory of Experimental Diabetology, Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avogaro
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy ; 2 Laboratory of Experimental Diabetology, Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Fadini
keywords: Bone; differentiation; risk factors; vascular