Browsing by Author "Eugenia Burgos, Maria"

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    Expression of gremlin, a bone morphogenetic protein antagonist, is associated with vascular calcification in uraemia
    (OXFORD UNIV PRESS, 2009) Jara, Aquiles; Chacon, Cecilia; Eugenia Burgos, Maria; Droguett, Alejandra; Valdivieso, Andres; Ortiz, Mireya; Troncoso, Pablo; Mezzano, Sergio
    Background. Vascular calcification has been widely recognized as a significant contributor to cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic kidney disease. Recent evidence suggests that BMP-7 decreases the vascular calcification observed in uraemic rats, while BMP-2 could also be participating in this process. Gremlin, a bone morphogenetic protein antagonist, has been detected in rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and since the role of the VSMCs into vascular calcification in uraemia is considered critical in this process, we hypothesized that gremlin could be participating in its pathogenesis. With this aim, we studied its expression in aorta from uraemic rats with calcitriol-induced vascular calcification and in 16-vessel biopsies of uraemic patients undergoing kidney transplantation.