In the present study, we examined the regulation of tetranectin gene expression using a human osteoblastic cell line, SV-HFO, that undergoes mineralization upon treatment with dexamethasone. We found that the expression of tetranectin and alkaline phosphatase mRNA was induced by dexamethasone treatment as evidenced by Northern blotting. When transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) was added together with dexamethasone to the SV-HFO cell cultures, the mineralization process was markedly suppressed and the expression of tetra nectin and alkaline phosphatase was downregulated in a dose-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that the expression of tetranectin in these osteoblastic cells is regulated by dexamethasone and TGF-beta 1 and that tetranectin expression is tightly linked to the process of mineralization.