title: Plasma homocysteine, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid in end-stage renal disease during low-dose supplementation with folic acid.
abstract: In order to see whether conventional low-dose folic acid supplement along with vitamin B6 and B12 reduces hyperhomocysteinemia in patients with ESRD, we compared the levels of homocysteine, vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid among 3 groups of patients: 44 ESRD patients on hemodialysis with replacement of folic acid, vitamin B6, and B12 (dialysis group); 27 chronic renal failure patients without vitamin replacement (predialysis group); and 17 hypertensive patients without vitamin replacement (control group). Mean plasma total homocysteine concentration was higher in the dialysis (15.5 +/- 6.6 micromol/l) and the predialysis groups (15.7 +/- 4.2 micromol/l) than in the control group (6.2 +/- 1.5 micromol/l) (p < 0.001). However, there was no difference in homocysteine concentrations between the dialysis and predialysis groups. In the control and predialysis groups, the homocysteine concentration showed a reverse correlation with the concentrations of folic acid (r = 0.584, p = 0. 014 for the control group; r = 0.431, p = 0.247 for the predialysis group) and vitamin B12 (r = 0.485, p = 0.049 for the control group; r = -0.562, p = 0.023 for the predialysis group) but not with vitamin B6. In conclusion, plasma folic acid concentrations were 3-4 times higher in the dialysis than in the predialysis group. But these levels of folic acid are not enough to reduce hyperhomocysteinemia in ESRD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Chunan City, Korea.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000097:blood*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D011736:Pyridoxine; D014805:Vitamin B 12