PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL ROLE OF OSTEOPROTEGERIN IN ATHEROSCLEROSIS AND DIABETES MELLITUS

Diabetes mellitus is rightly called non-infectious epidemic of the 21st century. At the same time, cardiovascular diseases still remain the leading cause of death in the world. A combination of diabetes mellitus and peripheral arterial disease increases the risk of the lower limb loss and death many times over. There are many concepts concerning the mechanism of development of these diseases. In recent years, there is more and more data evidencing the similarity of the processes of atherosclerosis and osteoporosis development. The connecting link between these processes may be osteoprotegerin (OPG). Information has been obtained on osteoprotegerin as an antiresorptive factor participating in the RANKL-RANK-OPG system. Under pathophysiological conditions, OPG is expressed in the vascular wall, including being found at different stages of atherosclerotic plaque formation. The RANKL-RANK-OPG signaling pathway is involved in the process of bone tissue remodeling. The mechanisms of atherosclerosis and osteoporosis development are similar; nevertheless, they require further study.