Impact of Wood Smoke Exposure on Aortic Valve Mineralization: Microvesicles as Mineral Conveyors in Patients with Coronary Stenosis.

Aortic valve calcification results from degenerative processes associated with several pathologies. These processes are influenced by age, chronic inflammation, and high concentrations of phosphate ions in the plasma, which contribute to induce mineralization in the aortic valve and deterioration of cardiovascular health. Environmental factors, such as wood smoke that emits harmful and carcinogenic pollutants, carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxide (NO), as well as other reactive compounds may also be implicated.

Homocysteine is related to aortic mineralization in patients with ischemic heart disease.

Unlabelled: Homocysteine is implicated as an early atherosclerotic promoter, which enhances the smooth muscle cell proliferation and produces free radicals that induce cellular damage. These factors must have a role in the progression of atherosclerosis that subsequently leads to vascular mineralization.

Aim: Identify a correlation between the plasma concentration of total homocysteine and the amount of minerals that accumulate in the aorta of patients with atherosclerosis.

Aortic mineralisation in children with congenital cardiac disease.

Background: Congenital cardiac diseases are the most frequent congenital malformations. In adult patients, the mineralisation of the aorta due to cardiovascular disease is very common, but vascular mineralisation in paediatric cardiopathies is a topic less studied. This study shows that children with a complex congenital cardiopathy show a high degree of vascular mineralisation in the ascending aorta.