Physiology and Pathology of Vitamin K Intake

Dear Colleagues,

Vitamin K is characterized by a group of lipophilic vitamers determining post-translational modification of proteins. Vitamin K is mainly known as an agent involved in blood coagulation, maintaining the activity of coagulation factors in the liver, but several additional important functions have been discovered. There are two main forms of vitamin K: vitamin K1 (phylloquinone, found in vegetables) and vitamin K2 (menaquinone, produced by bacteria in the intestine and in fermented foods), both of which act as co-enzymes of g-glutamyl-carboxylase (GGCX), transforming vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs) from the undercarboxylated into the carboxylated form. Vitamin K stores are limited in humans, but the vitamers can be recycled. Vitamin K1 is principally transported to the liver, regulating the production of coagulation factors. Vitamin K2, instead, also reaches extrahepatic tissues, such as bone and arteries, regulating the activity of Osteocalcin (Bone Gla-protein: BGP) and Matrix Gla-protein (MGP), respectively. Furthermore, vitamin K has been also identified as a ligand of the nuclear steroid and xenobiotic receptor (SXR) (in murine species, Pregnane X Receptor: PXR), expressed in osteoblasts. Several studies have highlighted a potential role of an adequate vitamin K intake in the prevention of bone and vascular diseases, both in the general population and in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD): vitamin K repletion may potentially decrease morbidity and mortality and randomized studies should be planned to verify this hypothesis. Another possible role of vitamin K could be protective activity against some cancer types (e.g., hepatocellular carcinoma, prostate). These topics will be addressed in this Special Issue highlighting the biological functions associated to an adequate intake of vitamin K, as well as their abnormalities in case of vitamin K deficiency, in the general population and in CKD patients.

Dr. Maria Fusaro
Prof. Maurizio Gallieni
Guest Editors

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