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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1996

Medial arterial calcification, calcific aortic stenosis and mitral annular calcification in a diabetic patient with severe autonomic neuropathy.

Medial arterial calcification (Mönckeberg's arteriosclerosis) is well described in diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy. There is also a high prevalence of diabetes mellitus among subjects with calcific aortic stenosis and mitral annular calcification. We describe a diabetic patient with autonomic neuropathy and extensive medial arterial calcification who also had calcification of the aortic valve and of the mitral valve annulus. We propose that autonomic neuropathy may play a role in calcification of these structures at the base of the heart.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

[Mechanism of arterial calcification with regards to atherosclerotic calcification and medial artery calcification].

Vascular calcification is a mechanism of active process, which includes inflammation and metabolism of bone formation. There are two different types of vascular calcification; atherosclerotic calcification and medial artery calcification. As seen in bone metabolism, vascular calcification is reported to be through enchondral ossification through BMP-2-Cbfa1 signal pathway, and through intramembranous ossification through BMP-2-Msx2 signal pathway. In the tissue of vascular calcification, several proteins which are related to bone and bone matrix metabolism have been shown to be present, such as bone morphogenic protein, osteoprotegerin, matrix gla protein, and osteopontin.

Arteries↗

PubMed2006

Reproducibility of CT measurements of aortic valve calcification, mitral annulus calcification, and aortic wall calcification in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Extracoronary calcifications may have clinical significance. The error in extracoronary calcification measurements is still unknown. Accurate quantification of calcifications of the aortic valve (AVC), mitral annulus (MAC), and aortic wall (AWC) may be possible by using cardiac computed tomography (CT). We sought to establish the interscan, interobserver, and intraobserver reproducibility of these measures in all cardiac CT scans in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured extracoronary calcifications in 100 randomly selected participants to assess interobserver, interscan, and intraobserver variability. Two scans were available for analysis in 99 of these participants, and we quantified thoracic aorta and valvular calcifications. RESULTS: Mean interscan variability of AVC was 9.7% +/- 11.4% and 8% +/- 10.3% for Agatston and volume scores, with variability of the median at 6.4% and 5.5%, respectively (P > .05). MAC inter-reader variability was 8.2% and 8.9%, with interscan variability of 28% and 33% and intrareader variability of 4% and 4.1%, respectively. For AWC, inter-reader variability was 3%-7.1%, interscan variability was 17%-18%, and intrareader variability was 0.4%-1.4%. CONCLUSION: AVC, MAC, and AWC measurements are sufficiently reproducible to allow serial investigations over a time suitable for clinical studies.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Deficiencies of physiologic calcification inhibitors and low-grade inflammation in arterial calcification: lessons for cartilage calcification.

Apart from clinical parallels, similarities in the pathogenesis of arterial and articular cartilage calcification have come to light in recent years. These include the roles of aging, of chronic low-grade inflammation and of genetic and acquired dysregulation of inorganic pyrophosphate (PP(i)) metabolism. This review focuses on recent developments in understanding the pathogenesis of artery calcification pertinent to interpretation of the mechanistic basis for articular cartilage calcification in aging and osteoarthritis.

Arteries↗

PubMed2005

Cardiac valvular calcification as a marker of atherosclerosis and arterial calcification in end-stage renal disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are at increased risk for tissue calcifications as a result of deranged mineral metabolism. We tested the hypothesis that valvular calcification is a marker of atherosclerosis in patients with ESRD. METHODS: Echocardiography was performed in 92 patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis with no background atherosclerotic vascular complications to detect valvular calcification. We used B-mode ultrasonography to determine carotid artery intima-media thickness and the presence of plaque and calcification. RESULTS: Compared with patients without valvular calcification (n=66), those with valvular calcification (n=26) had higher C-reactive protein levels (P=.01) and greater mean +/- SE carotid intima-media thickness (1.12 +/- 0.06 vs 0.88 +/- 0.04 mm; P=.003). Carotid artery calcification was present unilaterally and bilaterally in 4 patients (15%) and 17 patients (65%) with valvular calcification vs 11 (17%) and 14 (21%) without, respectively (P<.001). Carotid artery plaque was present unilaterally and bilaterally in 11 patients (12%) and 16 patients (65%) with valvular calcification vs 3 (17%) and 17 (24%) without, respectively (P=.001). Using multiple logistic regression analysis, every 1-mm increase in carotid intima-media thickness was independently associated with a 6.51-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.58-26.73; P=.009) increased risk of valvular calcification, and calcification and plaque in the carotid arteries were associated with a 7.18-fold (95% confidence interval, 2.39-21.51; P<.001) and a 5.00-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.77-14.13; P=.002) increased risk of valvular calcification, respectively. CONCLUSION: The associations among valvular calcification, inflammation, carotid atherosclerosis, and arterial calcification suggest that valvular calcification is a marker of atherosclerosis and arterial calcification in patients with ESRD.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2004

Stereotactic core breast biopsy of malignant calcifications: diagnostic yield of cores with and cores without calcifications on specimen radiographs.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively compare core biopsy diagnosis with final diagnosis at surgical excision in cores with and cores without calcification on specimen radiographs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred thirteen consecutive patients underwent vacuum-assisted 11- or 14-gauge needle stereotactic core biopsy for calcifications with malignant histologic results in core samples from 116 lesions. For each lesion, calcification was identified in at least one core at specimen radiography. Cores with and those without calcification seen on magnified specimen radiographs were separately submitted to and reported on by pathologists, who obtained additional levels in cores with calcification. All patients underwent surgical excision of the lesion area within 7 weeks. The pathologic diagnosis in core samples with and those without calcification on specimen radiographs was compared with final diagnosis at surgical excision. Fisher exact test was used for all chi(2) determinations of statistical significance. RESULTS: Cores with calcification on specimen radiographs were more likely to enable a final diagnosis of malignancy than were cores without calcification (98 [84%] vs 82 [71%] of 116; P =.02). Cores without calcification were significantly more likely to cause a diagnosis of cancer to be missed than were those with calcification on specimen radiographs (13 [11%] vs one [1%] of 116; P <.001). Underestimates of malignancy were more frequent in 14- than in 11-gauge specimens (11 [18%] of 60 vs six [10%] of 56; P =.30). Regardless of needle size, there was no significant difference in underestimation of malignancy between cores with and without radiographically evident calcification (17 [15%] vs 21 [18%] of 116; P =.60). CONCLUSION: Specimen radiography is essential to document calcification retrieval. Cores without radiographically demonstrated calcification may fail to show a malignant lesion. Separate identification of calcium-containing cores may assist the pathologist, who can more thoroughly evaluate these cores with additional levels of section.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

The diagnostic implication of falcine calcification on plain skull radiographs of patients with basal cell naevus syndrome and the incidence of falcine calcification in their relatives and two control groups.

The purpose of our study was to identify the incidence of falcine calcification shown on plain skull radiographs in people with basal cell naevus syndrome (BCNS) and in their relatives compared with a normal population. A population of people with BCNS and their relatives was identified on non-radiological grounds and the incidence of falcine calcification on skull radiographs in each of these two groups was compared with the incidence of falcine calcification in a control group of people and of a larger group who attended casualty departments. Falcine calcification was graded into dense, fine but definite, and faint. 85 people with BCNS had nearly 100% incidence of falcine calcification in adults. 83 first degree unaffected relatives showed no excess over "normal" incidence of falcine calcification. In the 970 casualty patients some falcine calcification was common (> 20%) in males over 30 and in females over 50 years of age. It occurred earlier and was more common in males than in females. Dense calcification occurred in 5-7% of females and males over 60 years of age. Dense calcification was rare (< 2%) under the age of 40 years. In conclusion, falcine calcification should be regarded as the fourth major feature and a very important diagnostic feature of BCNS. An adult labelled as a BCNS sufferer without falcine calcification probably has not got the syndrome. The genetic defect responsible for the metabolic defect resulting in dural calcification is probably the same as, or in close linkage disequilibrium to, that responsible for the major clinical features of the syndrome. The age and sex distribution of falcine calcification in a general hospital casualty population is described.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

[Atherosclerotic calcification of coronary artery detected by electron beam CT: A new probation of calcific algorithm].

Electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) can detect the atherosclerotic calcification of coronary artery qualitatively and quantitatively. It was also verified that the atherosclerotic calcification was directly related to the atherosclerotic extent and had a limited relation to the occurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD). So EBCT is one of the good non-invasive methods for predicting the risk of CHD. However, there are some problems in the calcification parameters (calcification area, calcification score) adopted by EBCT which have high variability and low reproducibility. As a result, these parameters have imperfection and need to be improved further. This research provides a new calcification parameter (calcification volume) which makes the use of three dimensional information of all calcific pixels in EBCT scanning images of coronary artery. After experiment in 11 human coronary artery specimens, it was testified that calcification volume had a lower variability than calcification area and calcification score in 25% percentile, median, 75% percentile, Mean, respectively. P value of t test in Mean variability is 0.027, and 0.058. These results suggest that calcification volume may be a new calcification parameter.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

Submitral calcification or sclerosis in elderly patients: M mode and two dimensional echocardiography in "mitral anulus calcification".

Submitral calcification or sclerosis was visualized with M mode echocardiography in 84 elderly patients, 35 of whom were also studied with two dimensional echocardiography. Posterior submitral calcification, commonly referred to as "mitral anulus calcification," was present in 82 patients and was located in the angle between the posterior mitral leaflet and left ventricular posterior wall, rather than in the mitral anulus proper. M mode scans from the left ventricle to the left atrium showed that posterior submitral calcification ended abruptly in 66 cases, and in these it became contiguous with the posterior atrioventricular junction (true mitral anulus) in only 14 instances, in 16 patients the posterior submitral calcification sloped anteriorly to merge with the posterior aortic root. Anterior submitral calcification was visualized in 12 patients, 10 of whom also had posterior submitral calcification. Anterior submitral calcification was usually located immediately anterior to the base of the anterior mitral cusp. In two cases, if appeared to arise in the region between the aortic and mitral rings; in one instance, it was located in the mid left ventricle, in the mitral chordal region. We suggest that the terms anterior and posterior submitral calcification are more appropriate than "mitral anulus calcification" because in most cases such calcific deposits do not appear to be located in or to arise from the true mitral anulus.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2002

The association between coronary calcification assessed by electron beam computed tomography and measures of extracoronary atherosclerosis: the Rotterdam Coronary Calcification Study.

OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to examine the associations of coronary calcification assessed by electron beam computed tomography (CT) with measures of extracoronary atherosclerosis. BACKGROUND: Although measures of extracoronary atherosclerosis have been used to predict coronary events, it is not yet known to what extent those measures reflect coronary atherosclerosis. METHODS: The Rotterdam Coronary Calcification Study is a population-based study in subjects age 55 years and over. Participants of the study underwent an electron beam CT scan. Coronary calcification was quantified according to the Agatston calcium score. Measures of extracoronary atherosclerosis included common carotid intima media thickness (IMT), carotid plaques, ankle-arm index (AAI) and aortic calcification. We used the first 2,013 participants for the present analyses. Age-adjusted geometric mean calcium scores were computed for categories of extracoronary measures using analyses of variance. RESULTS: Graded associations with coronary calcification were found for the carotid and aortic measures. Associations were strongest for carotid plaques and aortic calcification; coronary calcification increased from the lowest category (no plaques) to the highest category 9-fold and 11-fold in men and 10-fold and 20-fold in women, respectively. A nonlinear association was found for AAI with an increase in coronary calcification only at lower levels of AAI. CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based study, graded associations were found between coronary calcification and common carotid IMT, carotid plaques and aortic calcification. A nonlinear association was found between coronary calcification and the AAI.

Aged↗

PubMed1988

[Intracranial physiological calcification on computed tomography (Part 1): Calcification of the pineal region].

Of intracranial physiological calcification, common calcification of pineal region, choroid plexus of lateral ventricles and of basal ganglia was examined based on the frequency of occurrence of age and sex and type of CT scanners. Consecutive cases of 2877 (1450 males and 1427 females) underwent plain CT scanning were studied. Pathological calcification was excluded from this study. Three types of CT scanners (SCN-200, Somatom 2 and TCT-10 A) were used. As a whole, calcification was shown in 67.7% in pineal region, 57.6% in choroid plexus of lateral ventricles and 7.5% in basal ganglia. First, we reported in detail the calcification of pineal region, in which calcification occurred most frequently. Calcification in pineal region had a close relation with age by increasing with aging. The youngest patient was 8 years old. There was a striking increase in number of patients aged from 10 to 39 years. There was a gradual increase in those aged over 40 years. Of patients aged from 70 to 79 years, calcification was found in 81.5%. The incidence was noted no changes in patients aged over 80 years. As for patients aged over 20 years, calcification was observed in 75.1% (82.6% males and 68.0% females). In patients aged from 20 to 79 years, the calcification was significantly higher in male than female. Although there was a different incidence of calcification examined by three types of CT scanners, it was not significant. There was no significant difference between thickness of 8 mm section and 10 mm.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Cardiac valve calcification: characteristics of patients with calcification of the mitral annulus or aortic valve.

AIMS: To determine whether mitral annular calcification and aortic valve calcification, with or without stenosis, are expressions of atherosclerotic disease. METHODS: The incidence of atherosclerotic risk factors was analysed in patients with mitral annular calcification and aortic valve calcification and in control patients from a prospective echocardiographic database of 8160 consecutive patients; 657 patients (8%) were identified with mitral annular calcification and 815 (9%) with a calcified aortic valve, of whom 515 (6.3%) had stenosis with a minimal aortic valve gradient of 16 mm Hg. In these patients, cardiac and vascular risk factors were compared with 568 control patients using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Age (odds ratio (OR) varying from 5.78 to 104, depending on age class), female sex (OR 1.75), hypertension (OR 2.38), diabetes mellitus (OR 2.85), and hypercholesterolaemia (OR 2.95) were strongly and significantly associated with aortic valve calcification without stenosis, as were age (OR varying from 8.82 to 67, depending on age class), female sex (OR 2.22), hypertension (OR 2.72), diabetes mellitus (OR 2.49), and hypercholesterolaemia (OR 2.86) with mitral annular calcification. Age (OR varying from 1.11 to 7.7), hypertension (OR 1.91), and hypercholesterolaemia (OR 2.55) were strongly and significantly associated with stenotic aortic valve calcification. CONCLUSIONS: Mitral annular calcification and stenotic or non-stenotic aortic valve calcification have a high incidence of atherosclerotic risk factors, suggesting they should be considered as manifestations of generalised atherosclerosis.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

[Intracranial physiological calcification on computed tomography (Part 2): Calcification in the choroid plexus of the lateral ventricles].

In this paper, we describe calcification in the choroid plexus of lateral ventricles with a discussion of the frequency of occurrence in categories of age, sex, and laterality, and its correlation with pineal calcification. The study was conducted on 2877 consecutive cases (1450 males and 1427 females) that had plain CT scanning. Three types of CT scanners (SCN-200, Somatom 2 and TCT-10 A) were used. This series included only calcification of the choroid plexus in the trigone of the lateral ventricles (glomus). Calcification was found in none of the cases aged under 9 years, 5.9% aged from 10 to 14 years and 17.4% aged from 15 to 19 years. The calcification rate strikingly increased with increasing age of the cases. It was 51.5% of cases between 30 and 39 years of age. After that, the increasing rate of calcification gradually decreased, however calcification was found in 74.4% of cases aged over 80 years. The calcification rate was 64.7% in our total series of cases aged over 20 years, 66.5% aged over 30 years and 70.7% aged over 50 years. The calcification rate of male cases was greater than that of females in the age group of over 15 years. However, there was a significant difference only in the cases ranging from 60 to 79 years of age. The initial incidence of male cases was found at the age of 12 years and that of females at the age of 16 years. There was no difference in calcification on right and left sides.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Induction of calcification in rabbit aortas by high cholesterol diets: roles of calcifiable vesicles in dystrophic calcification.

Atherosclerotic calcification may weaken the aorta wall and thereby lead to rupture of the vessel. The mechanism whereby aortas undergo calcification remains unclear. Previous reports in this laboratory showed that, after 2 months of cholesterol-supplemental feeding, an increase in calcifiability of membrane vesicles isolated from rabbit aortas precedes substantial arterial calcification. Further, the mineral was deposited by isolated calcifiable vesicles as an amorphous phase similar to minerals in human aortas at an early stage of atherosclerosis. In the current study, atherosclerotic calcification was induced by exposing rabbits to a 1% cholesterol-rich diet for 3 or 6 months. After 3 months of dietary interventions, atherosclerotic lesions were fully developed. Fatty streaks were evident in areas proximal to the heart and became less frequent in the distal areas. However, calcification was not yet identifiable histologically or by using Fourier transform spectroscopy (FT-IR). After 6 months of high cholesterol treatment, aortas were partially calcified. Histochemical staining for mineral revealed that calcification appeared to occur predominantly in the intimal areas immediately adjacent to the media. Fourier Transform Imaging analysis demonstrated that the mineral deposited in atherosclerotic rabbit aortas was a hydroxyapatite-like phase. To determine whether aorta vesicles play a role in mineral formation in aortas, vesicles were isolated from calcified aortas and then their calcifiability was compared to that in normal vesicles. Interestingly, during the course of vesicle isolation, we found that calcifiable vesicles with much higher calcifiability than normal vesicles could be readily isolated from atherosclerotic aortas simply by suspending minced tissues in PBS. The characteristics of the calcification process and the enzymatic contents of isolated vesicles were similar to those obtained using collagenase digestion. Correlatively, mineral deposited by calcifiable vesicles isolated from the calcified aortas was also of hydroxyapatite-like phases. Altogether, these observations indicate that (1) aortic calcification is a later event during atherogenesis, (2) calcifiable vesicles are loosely bound to the matrices of the lesions as the result of the disease process and (3) similarities in the mineral phases between those in aortas and by vesicles during atherogenesis further support the role of calcifiable vesicles in dystrophic calcification.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Parathyroid hormone-related peptide as a local regulator of vascular calcification. Its inhibitory action on in vitro calcification by bovine vascular smooth muscle cells.

In the present study, we investigated the role of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) in vascular calcification by using an in vitro calcification model. We demonstrated that the expression of PTHrP decreased in the progression of bovine vascular smooth muscle cell (BVSMC) calcification and that inhibition of calcification by etidronate (EHDP) and levamisole restored PTHrP secretion, suggesting that the expression of PTHrP is associated with calcification. PTHrP (1-34) and PTH (1-34) dose-dependently inhibited BVSMC calcification. Protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors completely blocked the inhibitory effect of PTHrP, suggesting that both PKA and PKC may be involved in its signaling pathway. Moreover, PTHrP inhibited alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, implying that the impact on ALP may contribute to its action on calcification. Furthermore, the PTHrP antagonist, PTHrP (7-34), dose-dependently increased calcium deposition by BVSMC. Interestingly, PTHrP production by BVSMC dramatically increased in the presence of EHDP, and PTHrP (7-34) partially antagonized the inhibitory effect of EHDP on BVSMC calcification. These results suggest that PTHrP may regulate vascular calcification as an autocrine/paracrine factor.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

PubMed2004

Role of bicarbonate/CO2 buffer in the initiation of vesicle-mediated calcification: mechanisms of aortic calcification related to atherosclerosis.

Calcifying vesicles play an important role in the mechanism of aortic calcification induced by dietary cholesterol interventions. This study was initiated to test the hypothesis that alterations in the ratio of bicarbonate/CO2, which is a main physiological buffer, could affect vesicle-mediated calcification. Using rabbits as a model, in vitro calcification of vesicles isolated from aortas was performed to study the effect of the bicarbonate buffer on the mineralization process. When Tris buffer was initially used to maintain pH of the media, ATP-dependent vesicle calcification increased with pH of calcifying media. By replacing Tris with physiological bicarbonate/CO2 buffer, ATP-dependent vesicle calcification increased rapidly with increased ratios of bicarbonate/CO2. The increase appears to be a result of elevated levels of pH through the alteration in the ratios of bicarbonate/CO2. The effect of the physiological concentration of bicarbonate (30 mM) on pH of calcifying media was remarkable since 50 mM of Tris buffer at pH 7.6 failed to prevent a rapid rise in pH under atmospheric CO2. The effect of bicarbonate and CO2 on vesicle calcification was dependent on the ratio of the surface area to the volume of calcifying media, since the ratio profoundly affects the exchange rate between the gas and liquid phases of CO2. Although the pathological conditions that alter the pH remain unknown, it is conceivable that blockage in the supply of blood CO2 to the media by intimal thickening in the lesions could contribute to focal calcification. We conclude that bicarbonate buffer could provide a dynamic and rapid transitional increase in pH of extracellular fluids, thereby creating a favorable condition for the initiation of vesicle-mediated calcification under pathological conditions.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2006

Study of calcification during a daily cycle of the coral Stylophora pistillata: implications for 'light-enhanced calcification'.

This work, performed on the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata, aims at providing new information on the 'light-enhanced calcification' process. In a first step, in controlled conditions of culture and constant light supply, we studied the diurnal cycle of calcification. We determined that calcification rates are constant during the day and the night with a 2.6-fold difference between day and night calcification rates. We also showed that the photosynthetic rate is constant throughout the day when a constant light intensity is applied. Our results on free-running experiments in prolonged conditions of light or dark suggest that calcification is not regulated by an endogenous circadian rhythm. In a second step, using a kinetic isotopic approach with (45)Ca, we characterized the transition stages between day and night and vice versa. Under our experimental conditions, the lag-phase necessary to switch from the light to the dark calcification rate is the same as the lag-phase necessary to switch from the dark to the light calcification rate. We discuss our results in the context of two hypotheses of the light-enhanced calcification process: (1) the role of photosynthesis on the pH in the coelenteron and (2) the role of photosynthesis in supplying precursors of the organic matrix.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2006

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and coronary calcification. The Rotterdam Coronary Calcification Study.

OBJECTIVES: Although several studies have recently suggested that lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is an independent predictor of coronary events, only one study has examined the association between Lp-PLA2 and coronary calcification, using young adults. We investigated the association between Lp-PLA2 activity and coronary calcification assessed by electron-beam computed tomography (EBT) in a population of older participants. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Rotterdam Coronary Calcification Study is a population-based study in men and women aged >/=55 years. Coronary calcification assessed by EBT was quantified in a calcium score according to Agatston's method. Lp-PLA2 activity measured in samples collected 7 years before scanning (n=520) was associated with coronary calcification in men after adjustment for age. The odds ratio per standard deviation of Lp-PLA2 activity of having a total calcium score >1000 was 1.6 (95% confidence interval: 1.1-2.4), as compared to a total calcium score </=100. After adjustment for non-HDL and HDL-cholesterol, this association disappeared. In women, the association was less consistent. For Lp-PLA2 measured concurrently to scanning (n=703), no association was found with coronary calcification. CONCLUSIONS: Lp-PLA2 activity is moderately associated with coronary calcification after adjustment for age. The effect of Lp-PLA2 on coronary calcification may be exerted through its effect on LDL-cholesterol.

1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase↗