title: Elevated homocysteine levels in patients with Raynaud's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) have vasomotor dysregulation, the etiology of which has not yet been elucidated. We investigated plasma levels of homocysteine and folate in patients with primary or secondary RP in comparison with healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma from patients with RP, either primary (n = 10) or secondary to scleroderma (n = 10), and from healthy subjects (n = 20) was obtained for homocysteine determination using high performance liquid chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with primary and secondary RP had significantly higher homocysteine concentrations (mean 15.5 +/- 4.1 and 11.6 +/- 6.2 micromol/l, respectively; p < 0.05) compared to healthy individuals (mean 5.9 +/- 2.0 micromol/l). Patients with primary RP had significantly lower plasma levels of folate in comparison with patients with secondary RP or healthy individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to show higher plasma levels of homocysteine in patients with RP. Given the obscure etiology of this disorder, these findings may provide new clues in the understanding of vasomotor dysfunction in RP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine B, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langevitz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harats
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Doolman
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Sela
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid