Arterial calcification is highly prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease, and is a process associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Calcium phosphate deposits may be found in the intima, the media, or both. Whether determination of the precise location of calcification is possible and whether this distinction is clinically useful remains a matter of debate.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Schlieper, G. et al. Ultrastructural analysis of vascular calcifications in uremia. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 21, 689–696 (2010).
Nakamura, S. et al. Coronary calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease and coronary artery disease. Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 4, 1892–1900 (2009).
Schwarz, U. et al. Morphology of coronary atherosclerotic lesions in patients with end-stage renal failure. Nephrol. Dial. Transplant. 15, 218–223 (2000).
Chung, A. W. et al. Upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 in the arterial vasculature contributes to stiffening and vasomotor dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease. Circulation 120, 792–801 (2009).
Temmar, M. et al. Pulse wave velocity and vascular calcification at different stages of chronic kidney disease. J. Hypertens. 28, 163–169 (2010).
Duhn, V. et al. Breast arterial calcification: a marker of medial vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease. Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 6, 377–382 (2011).
McCullough, P. A., Agrawal, V., Danielewicz, E. & Abela, G. S. Accelerated atherosclerotic calcification and Monckeberg's sclerosis: a continuum of advanced vascular pathology in chronic kidney disease. Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 3, 1585–1598 (2008).
Amann, K. Media calcification and intima calcification are distinct entities in chronic kidney disease. Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 3, 1599–1605 (2008).
London, G. M. et al. Arterial media calcification in end-stage renal disease: impact on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Nephrol. Dial. Transplant. 18, 1731–1740 (2003).
Rostand, S. G. & Drüeke, T. B. Parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, and cardiovascular disease in chronic renal failure. Kidney Int. 56, 383–392 (1999).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Drüeke, T., Massy, Z. Medial or intimal calcification in CKD—does it matter?. Nat Rev Nephrol 7, 250–251 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2011.41
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2011.41
