Total plasma homocysteine determination by liquid chromatography before and after methionine loading. Results in cerebrovascular disease.
Elevated homocysteine (HCY) levels in tissues and blood are associated with premature occlusive diseases. A number of techniques have been developed to assay HCY, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorimetric or electrochemical detection, and radioenzymatic methods. The present study evaluated the adaptation of a liquid chromatographic, ion-exchange technique with postcolumn derivatization using ninhydrin. Fasting and moreover post-methionine load total plasma HCY were assayed in 50 patients three months after a stroke and in 20 age-matched controls. Ion-exchange liquid chromatography was performed on an amino acid analyzer using a modified procedure to improve methionine and HCY separation. HCY values in the fasting state were moderately but significantly increased (P<0.05) in the patients compared to the controls: 10.5+/-3.4 versus 9.3+/-2.3 micromol/l. The difference between the two groups was amplified in post-load HCY results, which were significantly increased (P<0.05) in the patients: 41.6+/-17.8 versus 29.2+/-5.5 micromol/l in controls. The relationship between cerebrovascular disease and impaired HCY metabolism has previously been emphasized by other investigators. Our findings suggest that certain inherited and/or acquired HCY disorders observed in the fasting state (14%) and especially in post-methionine load conditions (32%) may occur during acute disease, and that total plasma HCY can be determined by ion-exchange chromatography even after oral methionine loading.
Candito
M
M
Laboratoire de Biochimie, Hôpital Pasteur, Nice, France.
Bedoucha
P
P
Mahagne
M H
MH
Scavini
G
G
Chatel
M
M
D000328:Adult; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged
D006710:Homocysteine; D008715:Methionine