Vascular Calcification: An Important Understanding in Nephrology

Abstract

Vascular calcification (VC) is a life-threatening state in chronic kidney disease (CKD). High cardiovascular mortality and morbidity of CKD cases may root from medial VC promoted by hyperphosphatemia. Vascular calcification is an active, highly regulated, and complex biological process that is mediated by genetics, epigenetics, dysregulated form of matrix mineral metabolism, hormones, and the activation of cellular signaling pathways. Moreover, gut microbiome as a source of uremic toxins (eg, phosphate, advanced glycation end products and indoxyl-sulfate) can be regarded as a potential contributor to VC in CKD. Here, an update on different cellular and molecular processes involved in VC in CKD is discussed to elucidate the probable therapeutic pathways in the future.

Keywords:

• chronic kidney disease
• CKD
• uremic toxins
• hyperphosphatemia
• uremia
• calcification

Data Sharing Statement

Research data were not shared. Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study and this is a review article.

Acknowledgment

The authors gratefully acknowledge Fatemeh Zununi Vahed for her kind support.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest regarding this work.

Additional information

Funding

No financial support was provided.