COULD THE RANKL/RANK/OPG SYSTEM BE CONSIDERED AS A SEROLOGICAL MARKER FOR PLAQUE RUPTURE IN THE FUTURE?
As previously described, there is strong evidence for an implication of the RANKL/RANK/OPG network in vascular calcification. However, atherosclerotic arterial calcification shares the activation of this system with other pathologies, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer metastasis [106, 107], and other vascular diseases, such as diabetic macroangiopathy, aortic aneurism, and heart failure [108]. Several studies indicate that the RANKL/RANK/OPG axis is not specific for plaque calcification and destabilization. Nevertheless, OPG and sRANKL serum levels have been proposed as biomarkers of vascular risk and prognosis. The serum levels of OPG were measured in patients with cerebrovascular disease, stable angina, and coronary artery disease (CAD), and showed interesting correlations. In particular, OPG levels were independently associated with cardiovascular mortality, but not bone mineral density in patients suffering from cerebrovascular diseases [109]. Furthermore, OPG is c
