Low serum osteopontin levels in individuals with choroid plexus calcification

Abstract

Background & Objective: The choroid plexus (CP) is a tissue plexus located in the ventricles that produces hormones and nutrients, primarily cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CP is also an important component of the blood CSF barrier. Osteopontin (OPN) is an extracellular matrix protein that plays a role in various physiological and pathological conditions such as bone reshaping, wound healing, vascular disorders, and inflammatory diseases. It is considered that OPN physiologically regulate bio- mineralization in bone tissue and reduce the growth and accumulation of calcium crystals in epithelial tissues. In our study, the role of OPN in CP calcification was studied. Methods: A total of 90 people, without any disease but with CP calcification (45 people) and age and gender matched control without CP calcification (45 people) were studied. Calcified and normal CP tissue was identified in brain computed tomography (CT) images. Serum OPN levels were measured in individuals with and without CP calcification using a human OPN enzyme-linked immunosorbent test kit (ELISA) from morning fasting venous blood samples. Results: Serum OPN level was found to be statistically significantly lower in patients with CP calcification than those without CP calcification (p=0.007). Conclusions: Our results show that OPN may have a significant role in the calcification process of CP.