Fasting, postprandial, and post-methionine-load homocysteinaemia and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism in vascular disease.
Hyperhomocysteinaemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The C677T mutation of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a common genetic cause of increased homocysteine (HCY) levels. Post-methionine-load HCY concentrations allow identification of certain cases of hyperhomocysteinaemia not demonstrated by fasting levels. This study investigated the relationship between MTHFR polymorphism and (1) fasting HCY levels (77 patients); (2) post-methionine HCY levels (54 patients); and (3) postprandial HCY concentrations (36 patients) in cardiovascular disease. As expected, mean fasting HCY value was higher in the +/+ patients. Moreover, patients who were homozygous for the mutation exhibited significantly increased mean post-methionine-load HCY; in contrast, literature results are conflicting. Mean postprandial HCY, which is not known to be increased in controls, was also increased in the (+/+) patients, although the difference did not reach statistical significance, probably owing to the small size of the sample. MTFHR polymorphism is known to be aggravated by a drop in circulating folate. Additional risk factors may be more prevalent in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Laboratoire de Biochimie, Hôpital Universitaire Pasteur, Nice, France.
M
M
Candito
P
P
Bedoucha
P
P
Gibelin
D
D
Jambou
R
R
de Franchis
J L
JL
Sadoul
M
M
Chatel
E
E
Van Obberghen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006579:Heterozygote; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000378:metabolism*; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); D008875:Middle Aged; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D019518:Postprandial Period
D006710:Homocysteine; D008715:Methionine; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)