New Insights into the Roles of Monocytes/Macrophages in Cardiovascular Calcification Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and cardiovascular calcification (CVC) is one of the strongest predictors of CVD in this population. Cardiovascular calcification results from complex cellular interactions involving the endothelium, vascular/valvular cells (i.e., vascular smooth muscle cells, valvular interstitial cells and resident fibroblasts), and monocyte-derived macrophages. Indeed, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress by monocyte-derived macrophages is responsible for the osteogenic transformation and mineralization of vascular/valvular cells. However, monocytes/macrophages show the ability to modify their phenotype, and consequently their functions, when facing environmental modifications. This plasticity complicates efforts to understand the pathogenesis of CVC—particularly in a CKD setting, where both uraemic toxins and CKD treatment may affect monocyte/macrophage functions and thereby influence CVC. Here, we review (i) the mechanisms by which each monocyte/macrophage subset either promotes or prevents CVC, and (ii) how both uraemic toxins and CKD therapies might affect these monocyte/macrophage functions.

Features of immune status in different states of uric acid metabolism in female rats

“…Therefore, 34 immune parameters from the 41 reported in this study were in one way or another related to uric acid metabolism, mainly uricemia. This is consistent with the concept of the physiological and pathophysiological role of uric acid, based on the structural homology of its molecule with adenosine and methylxanthines molecules [4,[6][7][8]14,15,18,21,26,28].…”

Standardization of sampling and sample preparation for analysis of human monocyte subsets in peripheral blood

“…There has been growing evidence of and interest in the possible clinical uses of monocyte subsets analyses by flow cytometry for inflammation [447,448], autoimmune diseases [449], infection [100,[450][451][452][453][454][455][456][457], and cancer [458][459][460]. Monocyte subpopulation analyses are also used in the diagnosis of chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia [458][459][460] and may contribute to the prognostic evaluation of patients' MDS [459,460].…”

Vascular Calcification—New Insights into Its Mechanism

“…M0-like macrophages, upon exposure to calcium or phosphate nanocrystals, undergo M1-like polarization, which is evidenced by facilitated release of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and TNF-α [300][301][302], suggesting recruitment of inflammatory immune cells to the site of calcification, occurs during calcifying events. Mechanistically, RANKL present in calcifying VSMC can promote migration and differentiation of macrophages into osteoclast-like cells in the atherosclerotic lesion, shaping crosstalk between VSMC and macrophage [303].…”

“…This finding corroborates the importance of macrophage recruitment in VC. The more detailed and elegant two reviews are by Henaut et al [301,302].…”