Hyperhomocysteinemia: a risk factor for ischemic stroke in children.
BACKGROUND
Moderate hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for arterial vascular disease and venous thrombosis in adults. We performed a case-control study to assess a possible relation between moderate hyperhomocysteinemia and ischemic stroke in Dutch children (age range, 0 to 18 years).


RESULTS
We measured plasma total homocysteine levels (tHcy) in 45 patients with ischemic stroke and in 234 controls. Hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as a tHcy above the 95th percentile regression line for the respective age of the controls. Hyperhomocysteinemia was present in 8 (18%) of the 45 patients with ischemic stroke. The odds ratio was 4.4 (95% CI, 1.7 to 11.6).


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that moderate hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for ischemic stroke in children.
van Beynum
I M
IM
University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Smeitink
J A
JA
den Heijer
M
M
te Poele Pothoff
M T
MT
Blom
H J
HJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007223:Infant; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; D006710:Homocysteine