Frontiers in Pathology and Genetics (FPG)

Serum response factor (SRF) is an ubiquitously expressed member of the MADS (MCM1, Agamous, Deficiens, SRF) box transcription factor family, sharing a highly conserved DNA-binding/dimerization domain, which binds the core sequence of SRE/CArG boxes [CC (A/T)6 GG]. In addition, SRF is as well a widely expressed transcription factor involved in orchestrating disparate programs of gene expression linked to differentiation and cellular growth in smooth, cardiac, and skeletal muscle. Recent results obtained with specific SRF knock-out models, using the Cre-LopP system, emphasize a crucial role for SRF in postnatal skeletal muscle growth and regeneration possibly due to the direct binding of Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) promoters in vivo. SRF also enhances the hypertrophic process in muscle fibers after mechnical overloading. During muscle hypertrophy, SRF seems to promote the proliferation and differentiation of muscle stem satellite cells after the activation…

The intimate mechanisms involved in aortic valve calcification (AVC) are not completely known. It is more evident to suggest that cardiovascular calcification is an inflammatory condition. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is increased in valvular lesions besides areas of leukocyte infiltration. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that valvular calcification is part of a generalized inflammatory process involving the vascular wall. The differential gene expression of TNF-α in thoracic aortic samples from 49 patients with AVC has been assessed in comparison with samples from 94 patients with non-calcified valves. As compared with subjects without calcification, patients with AVC were older (P<0.01) and had an increased prevalence of coronary atherosclerotic disease (P=0.002), left ventricular hypertrophy (P<0.001), smoking habit (P=0.027) and hypertension (P=0.05). The incidence of AVC was significantly higher in smokers, hypertensives, and p…