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Published on: May 31, 2016
The local calcification inhibitor matrix Gla protein in pseudoxanthoma elasticum
Doris Hendig1, Ralf Zarbock, Christiane Szliska
1Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
Objectives:
Recent studies have revealed the involvement of calcification inhibitory proteins in the pathogenesis of pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE).
Design And Methods:
We analyzed serum concentrations of the calcification inhibitor matrix Gla protein (MGP) in a large cohort of patients suffering from PXE (n=101), 34 first-degree relatives and 67 healthy controls. Moreover, we determined the distribution of the two MGP promoter polymorphisms c.-7G>A and c.-138T>C in the three cohorts.
Results:
We found significantly lower total MGP concentrations in the sera of PXE patients compared to healthy controls (p=0.0002). Furthermore, higher serum MGP concentrations could be correlated with a later PXE onset. Analysis of MGP promoter polymorphism frequencies revealed one MGP haplotype to be a potential protective co-factor in PXE.
Conclusions:
Our findings point to a role of the local calcification inhibitor MGP in PXE manifestation.
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