[Mechanism of vascular calcification]

Vascular calcification is an active, regulated process rather than a passive accumulation of mineral in areas of necrosis or injury including atherosclerotic plaque, aging, or damaged cardiac valves. This review describes roles of the following factors in progression of vascular calcification: (1)apoptotic cell death or chondro/osteogenic differentiation of vascular mesenchymal cells, (2)sodium-dependent phosphate co-transporter, (3)alkaline phosphatase and nucleotide triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase (metabolism of inorganic pyrophosphate), (4)inflammatory cells such as T cells and macrophages, (5)regulatory factors including hormones, growth factors, and cytokines.